


A Dragon on Earth

by D_OShae



Series: Of Dragons, Winter, and Men [2]
Category: Hijack - Fandom, How to Train Your Dragon (Movies), Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: Action/Adventure, M/M, Other, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-18
Updated: 2018-04-18
Packaged: 2019-04-24 15:18:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 18
Words: 139,633
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14358180
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/D_OShae/pseuds/D_OShae
Summary: The tables get turned, and Hiccup finds himself and Toothless in a place they never imagined. Lost and without the  one person who can help, they try to find their way across a strange world. Jack, in the meanwhile, faces off against a foe who defies the collective power of the Guardians. He and the other Guardians struggle to find a way to contain the ancient threat. Worst of all, time is not on anyone's side!(Very long action/adventure story.)





	1. Chapter 1

**Forward**

 

This story does not stand alone and requires an understanding of events in Winter Comes to Berk. The story is based on the characters found in the films How to Train Your Dragon (1 & 2) and Rise of the Guardians. Elements from  Dragons: Riders of Berk, Race to the Edge  (except last season) and Guardians of Childhood get used and exist in this alternate universe (AU).

 

**Chapter 1**

  
“Jack! Stop!” Hiccup desperately yelled as Toothless dove to avoid the skrill chasing them. “Gods! Isemaler, isn't there something you can do?”  
  
  
A lean, slightly tattered looking young man roughly the same age as Hiccup flew next to the night fury. His gray pants and sky-blue jerkin with a roughly attached hood looked something like but not quite the same as what Jack wore when in his elemental phase. In the same manner, his whitish-blonde hair also did not quite match the white locks of the original Isemaler. His eyes also tended to be more azure than pale blue. Only the frost patterns along the shoulders and arms of the hooded shirt seemed in any way identical. At the moment, the one currently called Isemaler did not appear to be entirely in control of his flight. He kept pace with the dragon, but looked on with trepidation both at the night fury and the skrill trailing close behind.  
  
  
“It can't kill you,” Hiccup reminded the young semi-transparent man for the umpteenth time. “But can you stop Jack?”  
  
  
“I... um, how?” Isemaler called back with more than a smidgen of uncertainty in his voice.  
  
  
Hiccup spent three precious seconds eyeballing Isemaler with a heavy dose of disbelief. If not for the fact a very large and very angry skrill sought to end all of their lives, the Viking might be a bit more forgiving. Hiccup could not decide where to fix his anger: at Jack for his desire to find a dragon of his own, at Isemaler for being too new and young in his role to know how to effectively assist, or himself for agreeing to the foolish venture in the first place. However, what angered him the most lay in the fact none of them paid attention to the phase of the moon. The oversight might end up costing them all their lives, except perhaps the Isemalers who could simply turn immaterial and avoid any real danger.  
  
  
“This is impossible... left, Toothless!” The dragon rider hollered.  
  
  
Hiccup guided the night fury to zigzag around the already scorched boulders and trees of the small island. Toothless, arguably one of the fastest dragons to be found, now raced against another species just as quick. The skrill did not suffer the additional weight of a rider and another passenger, although Hiccup could not determine if Jack still retained his physical form. In the five months since the Guardian got granted a mortal existence, the monthly transition of Jack still caught Hiccup off guard. His mind recalled the first time he witnessed the metamorphosis.  
  
  
“Is the widdle Guardian all sweepy headed?” Hiccup teased Jack a month after the elemental young man started to live as a human on the world of Halla.  
  
  
The dragon lying in his nest let out with short chortle at his rider's childish, sing-song voice that, for once, did not get aimed at the beast.  
  
  
“It's weird, Hiccup,” Jack responded in a faint voice. “I feel really strange.”  
  
  
Hiccup sat up, wrapped a blanket around his naked body, and looked at Jack. It still caught the young Viking man by surprise from time to time when he saw brown hair on Jack instead of white. Although the elemental blue eyes could be arresting, Hiccup started to prefer the sensual orbs colored like ripe acorns ready to fall. No one on Berk possessed eyes of that particular shade. Jack in his mortal form still resembled Jack in his Guardian body, but the bluish-white skin took on natural ruddier tones nobody on the island would find alarming. Even the children, including the ones who accused Jack of looking like his other immortal self, did not seem to think he really could be the famed Isemaler. Thus, Jack assumed his mortal life on Berk as the wayward young man dredged from the ocean by the trawler Fishwife little more than a month before.  
  
  
“You, ah, look sort of pale,” Hiccup stated while examining the young man who captured his heart.  
  
  
“Guardian here,” Jack quietly half-teased the dragon rider who he knew to be devoted to him and, in return, received the same devotion.  
  
  
“No, this... Jack! What's happening to you?”  
  
  
Jack barely heard the alarm in the voice of the one next to him on the bed. In fact, he barely heard anything at all. The world suddenly looked hazy and indistinct, as though he viewed it through a thin piece of coarsely woven cloth. Moreover, the lethargy spread throughout his body. Furthermore, he felt himself involuntarily begin to assume his Guardian guise as lassitude sank deep into his being. Jack knew his eyes to be open, but everything began to fade around him. Gradually, a white light began to fill his vision.  
  
  
“Jack!” Hiccup cried in distress once more, and this time Toothless sat up and growled.  
  
  
The Viking watched as Jack turned from a mortal to into theelemental Guardian. His magical clothing appeared: a blue hooded sweatshirt with frost designs across the shoulders and down the arms, and the brown leather britches appeared on his lower body. His feet remained naked but the skin turned pale. The hooked staff flew across the room from its normal resting place and landed next to the Guardian. More and more Hiccup suspected the staff to be alive in some manner, and the display only added another piece of evidence. He watched as his companion's hand took hold of the wood that began to gleam with a frosty white light. The temperature around the two began to drop. Those changes, however, did not compare to what happened next.  
  
  
“Jack!” The Viking yelled again.  
  
  
Jack Frost's body went rigid with eyes wide-open and staring at nothing. The hair turned from brown to white, the eyes to a piercing ice-blue, and the skin assumed a ghostly pallor. The more striking transformation began when the Guardian gradually started to fade. Hiccup reached out to shake the young man's shoulder, and his hand passed right through Jack. The sound of a growling dragon and footsteps on the stairs, newly built so none would face the prospect of falling off a narrow log, thudded into the room. Hiccup did not take his eyes away from the Guardian who now appeared like nothing more than a smoky outline.  
  
  
“Good heavens,” Valka gasped when she reached the top. “Hiccup?”  
  
  
“I don't know, Mom. He just... changed... and I don't think he wanted to,” Hiccup said in a tight, worried voice.  
  
  
The abrupt absence of a dragon growl caught the Viking's attention. He turned and watched as Toothless began the process of warming his nest, walking in a small circle to curl his body, and then lay down. It seemed at odds with the moment. Streamers of smoke twisted in the air of the room.  
  
  
Valka, dressed in her warmest wool robe lined with sheep fleece and pulled around her sparse frame, also watched the dragon and said: “Toothless doesn't seem worried.”  
  
  
“Bud, what is it?” Hiccup asked his best winged friend.  
  
  
Toothless warbled, but did not raise his head. The dragon's vocalization sounded like one of his regular complaints at being kept awake. Son and mother glanced at one another.  
  
  
“Hiccup, I didn't think Jack slept in his Guardian clothing,” Valka stated, yet it also served as a question.  
  
  
“He doesn't. Normally he sleeps...” and then Hiccup paused while his face turned pink.  
  
  
Three weeks before Hiccup and Jack decided to dispense with sleeping clothes since they wanted to explore the more intimate side of their relationship. They quickly fell into the habit of sleeping nude since both enjoyed the feel of their flesh touching, especially Jack since three centuries passed when he last felt himself in normal skin. As a result and because winter still reigned over the land, they added a few more layers of blankets to the bed. Thus, Hiccup knew Jack wore nothing before the transformation took place.  
  
  
“You don't have to explain,” his mother graciously and softly said as she patted him on his blanket-clad shoulder. “He looks peaceful enough.”  
  
  
Panic continued to race up and down Jack's spine, but the events of his life and his Viking nature taught him how to control his reactions. Instead he focused on what he could discover and learn. Secondly, his mother's calm reaction lent him support. Jack looked peaceful indeed for all that his eyes stared vacantly at the ceiling and did not blink. Once again the slight rise and fall of the elemental man's chest seemed at odds with his condition. Bit by bit Hiccup decided he could nothing more than wait out whatever appeared to be happening to his companion. He also harbored the knowledge some aspects of the Guardian he could not influence in any manner.  
  
  
“I'll just sort of watch over him, I guess,” he replied and wrapped the blanket tighter around his body. “I don't think there's much I can do anyway.”  
  
  
“Are there spokelsedrakes around?” Inquired the dragon woman and glanced about the room.  
  
  
“No, they never come here... except that one time,” her son told her and could not stop the involuntary shudder that ran through his body. “Besides, I think Toothless would let us know if one of them did show up. He's pretty fond of Jack.”  
  
  
Without a doubt the elemental Guardian and the night fury formed a real bond. Hiccup could never forget, and he suspected the same of Toothless, the time Jack used his power to allow the dragon to fly at a fantastic speed. Dragon, man, and immortal covered over a thousand miles in an hour to return to Berk during the fateful civil war. Since that day, Toothless routinely pestered Jack to sit astride his back, something the dragon did for no other person, and Hiccup guessed the night fury hoped for a repeat of the event. Jack never gave into the urging.  
  
  
“He just won't leave it alone,” Hiccup remarked to the latest addition in Berk two weeks before the full moon while Jack set up a woodworking shop in a small corner of the forge.  
  
  
“It's okay, but... I don't think that's something we should do very often,” the human presentation of the Guardian rejoined.  
  
  
“Could ye do that with a person 'sides Hiccup?” Gobber asked as he sat and watched the goings on. Both his apprentices got sent off to fix the hinges on the ground level swinging door of the dragon cavern. “I think I might like to try that trick so I can get a feel for what it's like being a ghostie.”  
  
  
“He's not a ghost, Gobber,” Hiccup again told his mentor.  
  
  
“Died twice. Lived through it both times. Nobody else ever did that,” the stout elder Viking said in a curt and suspicious voice. He then scratched his ample belly.  
  
  
The master smith, who allowed Jack to use part of the forge to establish a workshop, no longer acted like Jack might be an enemy. However, it did not belay his curiosity as to the nature of the Guardian. For his part, Jack made certain never to appear or disappear in front of anyone other than Hiccup, and Valka when possible. Both Fishlegs and Gobber reacted poorly to Jack's abilities when carried out in the open. Furthermore, the quartet of Vikings who knew about the Guardian all agreed the knowledge about Jack should be kept to only them. The agreement did not stop Gobber from asking questions during private moments.  
  
  
“What was it like, Hiccup, the time he made you all ghostie-like?” Gobber prodded.  
  
  
“Um... well, I don't really remember,” Hiccup honestly answered and unbuckled his flying jacket since it got very warm in the forge rather fast.  
  
  
“Why?” Jack asked before the smith could while fiddling with a new tool in his hands.  
  
  
The younger Viking cocked an eyebrow and looked askance at the young man he deeply loved. After a few seconds he said: “You do remember you were making us fly as fast as you could... and trying not to panic or throw up took up most of my attention.”  
  
  
“Right,” the brown-haired, thin human rejoined in a sheepish manner. “Seems like it's pretty much all Toothless can think about as well.”  
  
  
“Just ignore him when he bothers you about it.”  
  
  
“I do, but I don't want to make him mad.”  
  
  
“Don't think you ye'll have to worry about that, Jack,” Gobber said, using the name everyone called the Guardian since Hiccup could not remember to use the name Jacque. “I think old Toothless figured out ye two are together now. Ye're a pretty handsome couple, ye know that?”  
  
  
Both Hiccup and Jack blushed at the compliment. Of all the people on Berk, Gobber alone understood what existed between the two young men. The trio never truly discussed their shared attribute, but the Viking and the elemental both allowed themselves to relax in the presence of the stout smith. The rest of the village still needed to adjust to Jack's permanent presence and the fact Hiccup took him in. The woodworking skills, limited though they were since Jack learned them over three hundred years before, meant the new resident – and new human for that matter – could make himself useful and valued to most of the Berkians.  
  
  
Hiccup slowly shook his head as he remembered and studied his supine and translucent companion. His mother rubbed his shoulder to comfort him as his thoughts returned to the present. The young Viking man remained troubled and unsettled, but he privately admitted he did not feel a sense of threat. He huddled into the blankets.  
  
  
“He's still here,” his mother softly told him.  
  
  
“Kind of,” Hiccup amended. “I've just... never seen him do... this. Ever.”  
  
  
Valka patted his back one last time and turned to leave. The son turned the mother, and his forest-green eyes met her own verdant version. They regarded one another for a moment.  
  
  
“Did it worry you a lot when Dad used to go out on looking for the dragons' home?”  
  
  
“What good does worry do, Hiccup?” She countered. “But I did... and accepted it as a fact of this life. Too many times I saw the boats come back missing too many of our people. It never got easier, especially after you were born.”  
  
  
“So what should I do?” Hiccup asked with uncertainty he rarely displayed to others.  
  
  
“Wait. Hope. Go on living.”  
  
  
The younger Viking pursed his lips and stared at the incorporeal form lying on his bed. He knew he should accept strange events would occur due to the nature of the young man who stole his heart, but it did not make witnessing it any easier. He sighed.  
  
  
“Guard him, son, like he would guard you,” Valka suggested.  
  
  
“Thanks, Mom,” Hiccup replied and sat back on his heels.  
  
  
Valka left him to stand watch over Jack. Nothing of the human remained saved he looked like the dim, smoky reflection of one. Privately he thanked the stars Gobber did not see this as it would simply add to the smith's argument about Jack being a ghost. As he thought, Hiccup could not dispute the fact a peculiar set of others on a distant world knew about the Guardian. He wondered how they would react to the transformation. Then he thought of those on his world who, while not human, also understood who lay in the bed. Against his sense of distrust, Hiccup looked up at the ceiling.  
  
  
“Is he okay?”  
  
  
Somewhere far off a small peel of thunder rumbled. Hiccup could not determine if Thursar H'rim answered or simply performed his duty. Either way, he did not expect an actual answer from that particular being. Thursar H'rim never spoke to him again after the night Jack's maker granted and returned Jack to life and a mortal existence. Sometimes Hiccup dreamed, sometimes it came as nightmares, about that episode. Seldom did he like to actively think about it. While Noro the Sky Dancer and Elada, The Man in the Moon, intrigued him, Hiccup remained unnerved at having faced the Breathless One, Aita, who ushered all living things out the world when they died. The memory of the one time he heard Death speak continued to haunt his thoughts.  
  
  
Hiccup kept watch as long as his eyes remained open. Sleep eventually stole over him, and he curled up next to the smoky image of his companion. He wanted to make certain he did not accidentally sleep inside of Jack; the notion seemed repugnant to him and a violation of the elemental man. Odd and unusual dreams coursed through him that night, none of which he remembered when a hand gently shook him awake. He opened his eyes only to stare into the smiling, ruddy-complexioned visage of the one who made his heart soar. Light brown eyes met green, and they both sparkled. Light of a new day streamed in from the lower portion of the house.  
  
  
“I'm back,” Jack said and then leaned down to kiss Hiccup.  
  
  
Despite wanting to give into what the kiss invited, Hiccup broke it off after half a minute and sat up. One of the extra blankets draped the Guardian's body, and the Viking guessed he sat unclothed once again. He gazed at his now human mate.  
  
  
“What... happened?” Hiccup asked and yawned midway through the question.  
  
  
“Um, well, I had to go back to Earth and do my time there. Remember?”  
  
  
“I do now!”  
  
  
Both of the young man shot sheepish glances at one another.  
  
  
“I forgot, too,” Jack confessed. “So, what went on here while I was gone? It feels like ages.”  
  
  
“Nothing. I watched you for a while and then just slept,” Hiccup replied and cast a long glance at the dark-haired young man.  
  
  
“For a whole month?”  
  
  
“Jack, it was just one night.”  
  
  
“Toto, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore,” Jack mumbled and looked around the room as though it suddenly became foreign to him.  
  
  
“Who's Toto and where's Kan... ziss?” Hiccup inquired.  
  
  
“A dog, a state, and it's a line from a movie.”  
  
  
The Viking simply frowned at the immortal now in human guise.  
  
  
“It's... never mind. It'd take too long to explain,” the Guardian murmured. Then he brightened and said: “Wow, a whole month in one night.”  
  
  
“Okay, normally I don't want to know, but what in the name of Odin are you talking about?”  
  
  
Jack then explained to Hiccup he arrived back on Earth in Burgess, the town of his birth and the place to which he always returned, under a full moon feeling the full power of The Man in the Moon. He told how he spent the next twenty-eight days working with the other Guardians like he normally did fighting the creatures of darkness that sought to harm or take advantage of children. Jack also told how his compatriots cornered him at every opportunity to explain what happened on Halla. His cheeks turned red when he got the part where he explained Hiccup to his Earthly friends.  
  
  
“Bunny is enjoying this way too much,” Jack sighed but grinned. “Sandy and Toothania seemed pretty happy for me. Nick just reminded me to focus on my job. I forgot he was married once a long time ago.”  
  
  
“That's all a little hard to picture,” Hiccup said as he considered what he learned. “A giant rabbit? A man made out of sand? A.... faerie... whatever that is. Nick I can see.”  
  
  
“He's the most human, even more than me.”  
  
  
Hiccup leaned forward, gently kissed Jack, and said: “You seem pretty human to me.”  
  
  
That set ablaze their feelings and need for one another. Hiccup felt compelled to relieve the stress from standing watch over the incorporeal form of his mate, and Jack went at it with gusto because he spent a considerable amount of time away even if did take place in another dimension and out of joint in time with Halla. They never noticed when Toothless let himself out of the room and never heard Valka call them down for breakfast. After a night of worry, Hiccup required reassurance of the most absolute kind. Jack greedily and happily complied. It proved to be a remarkable morning.  
  
  
“Isemaler,” Hiccup yelled to the Hallan elemental young man as they twisted through the air as his mind returned to the current and pressing predicament. “What's his condition?”  
  
  
The Viking navigated the dragon while dodging the periodic lighting blasts from the skrill. Memories of when he and Jack first learned how the Guardian would traverse the two worlds faded into the background of his thinking while present dangers consumed his cognitive processes. Whips of lighting flailed around them as the skrill sought to bring them down.  
  
  
“His clothes are starting to change,” Isemaler yelled back through the screaming wind and the howls of the skrill.  
  
  
“No, no, no,” the dragon rider grunted in fear and frustration. He needed Jack conscious and not preparing to depart this plane of existence as dictated by an agreement with gods. “We need to get away from this skrill. Do something!”  
  
  
Isemaler continued to fly alongside Toothless who appeared to suffering from the exertion. The Spirit of Winter Joy for Halla reached out a hand, let it become material, and touched the dragon. Muscles worked furiously under the black hide. Hiccup watched and began to worry a little as to what the magical young man planned. He wondered if Jack suffered the same confusions and hesitations when he first became an elemental being. Isemaler looked up at him.  
  
  
“Got an idea,” the newly immortal being shouted. “Aim for the mountain over there. We'll go through it.”  
  
  
“Isemaler, wait! I don't think...” was all Hiccup managed to say.  
  
  
Once in his life Hiccup experienced the transition into immaterial form. Jack channeled vast amounts of energy to initiate it. The current Isemaler, however, did not. The Isemaler of Halla never seemed at a loss to call forth his staggering powers since he got created on the planet. A strange sensation clouded Hiccup's mind. He saw Toothless shake his head back and forth, as though experiencing the same disorientation. Something gleamed toward his right. Hiccup looked and saw the frost magic sparkle along the edge of Isemaler's pale-skinned hand. Without warning the Viking's mind started to spin, and he felt the dragon falter.  
  
  
“Toothless?” Hiccup said in a slow, tired voice.  
  
  
Toothless lazily snorted.  
  
  
A bright, white light appeared before them. Hiccup winced and closed his eyes. He lay back against Toothless, and he felt Jack's body. As happened one other time, Toothless began to fly at an incredible speed. Hiccup noticed his winged companion did not increase the rate at which his wings beat. Some force tugged them forward. Neither fear of the skrill nor worry about Isemaler entered into Hiccup's thoughts when a sensation like he got pulled and stretched by his feet took over. The Viking felt elongated beyond reason, and it terrified him. Toothless bugled in distress. The world went silent while the light become so blinding Hiccup feared for his eyesight. He squeezed his lids shut hoping to block out the worst of it. Then everything twisted into a knot around him, and Hiccup yelled in panic. He hollered while Toothless growled in an ugly manner. It seemed to go on forever.  
  
  
Pain. Hiccup felt pain. He slowly opened his eyes. Pinpricks of light in a dark blanket formed the sky above what he could see through branches. He moved his neck and, while it complained at the motion, the Viking knew it to be whole. He looked to the right, finding trees surrounded him. He looked to the left and saw Toothless' motionless body. Panic. Panic flooded through Hiccup. Despite the intense agony of his right arm, he scrambled unsteadily to his feet and stumbled to where the dragon lay. Hiccup carefully laid his body against the bulk of the creature.  
  
  
“Gods, he's breathing,” Hiccup said with relief.  
  
  
More panic suddenly assailed him as he took stock of the surroundings. He wildly swung his head back and forth. What he sought clearly went missing. It did not make sense to him.  
  
  
“Jack!” Hiccup loudly called. “Jack!”  
  
  
No answer came.  
  
  
“JACK!”  
  
  
Ignoring the agony that surged through his arm, Hiccup scrambled around searching for his companion. The young man moved in a continually widening spiral until the trees began to force him off his trajectory. After a minute of frantic surveying, Hiccup went back to the still unconscious form of the dragon. Fear gripped him. To try and dispel it, the Viking focused on what he could remember.  
  
  
“Jack started to change,” he said aloud. “Damn it, how could we forget... again?”  
  
  
His charge went unanswered.  
  
  
“What did Isemaler do? How... where are we?”  
  
  
Anger at the Hallan Isemaler came to life and quickly subsided. Hiccup could not fault the new young immortal. Since assuming the mantle of the Spirit of Winter Joy for Halla when it became readily apparent Jack could not be both mortal and a Guardian, the young man found to fill the role valiantly tried to live up to the high expectations. Jack proved a patient and willing teacher. Hiccup, did not possess the same patience even though Noro the Sky Dancer indirectly asked for his assistance. Since his days trying to train other dragon riders, assuming and losing the chiefdom of the tribe, and experiencing the horrors of the Berkian civil war, Hiccup did not tolerate any frivolous or inane actions by others. His relationships with the Ruffnut and Tuffnut got strained as a result. The current circumstances, however, forced him to rely on his native intelligence.  
  
  
“Jack transformed. Isemaler added... whatever energy that is to it. It did something. Something not right,” the Viking mumbled to himself. “We changed: went... not solid. Where's Jack?”  
  
  
Hiccup glanced around while cradling his arm. Instinct told him he broke it. Worry over Toothless' condition came to the fore when the dragon showed no signs of rousing. His beloved friend breathed and lived, but Hiccup could not determine if the midnight beast suffered any other possibly severe and life-threatening injury. He inspected the dragon as best he could. Lack of blood and misshapen limbs calmed Hiccup a bit. It dawned on him he simply needed to wait.  
  
  
Overhead the stars dimmed as the sky turned a supple purple. Birds began to chirp. Dawn approached. Hiccup sat on the ground next to the dragon. The vista above him steadily transformed into gray, and a hump of illumination grew on the horizon. The Viking dozed as he leaned against a tree tenderly holding his injured arm. Fortunately, wherever they landed, the air felt warm and he knew they would not freeze to death. He slipped into sleep.  
  
  
The bugling of the dragon woke Hiccup with a start. Toothless stood on all fours, wings spread wide. His head snapped from side to side as if fending off an enemy. Something hissed in the near distance. The dragon inhaled to let loose a blast of plasma while he focused in that direction.  
  
  
“Toothless, no!” Hiccup commanded. “You'll set the forest on fire!”  
  
  
Upon hearing the voice, Toothless craned his head around and stared at Hiccup. The beast visibly eased. Hiccup struggled to his feet and walked over to his friend. Toothless furled his wings, flipping them smartly to his sides. The man reached out and caressed the stout neck with his left hand. The dragon warbled with uncertainty.  
  
  
“I don't know, bud. Somewhere south, I think,” the human answered as though asked a question. “No winter here.”  
  
  
Toothless leaned into the figure standing next to him.  
  
  
“I don't recognize half of these kinds of trees, so I guess we're pretty far from Berk. What were you fighting?”  
  
  
Both man and dragon looked around. Whatever caused Toothless to react did not stay. Hiccup worried it might be a new type of dragon and, thus, an un-quantifiable threat. The sky turned into a gaudy coral color as the sun slowly rose. He looked at the sunrise and it seemed off to him, but he could figure out why since other pressing matters lay at hand. More of the local fauna came to life. With the increased light, Hiccup began to scan the ground for any sign of Jack. Toothless watched him.  
  
  
“Toothless, can you see Jack anywhere? He transformed, so... maybe I just can't see him in all this... woods.”  
  
  
The black irises in the yellow-green orbs widened. The dragon extended his neck and began to actively look. Hiccup backed up and leaned against a tree. With the sun rising, the air became warmer. Hiccup felt sweat start to trickle from his armpits under his winter armor. He unbuckled the outer jacket made of stiff leather with his left hand. Fortunately, his favored limb did not get injured. Hot air rushed out from his garment and Hiccup breathed a bit easier. With daylight now fully in effect, he felt a sense of relief. Of course, the young Viking man stood next to a completely alert and functioning dragon.  
  
  
“Nothing?” He quietly asked his winged friend.  
  
  
The dragon looked disappointed.  
  
  
“Not your fault, bud. Not anyone's fault really... except ours. Why do we always forget to count the days?”  
  
  
Toothless simply stared at him. Hiccup grinned at the beast. Sometimes he felt the creature knew much more than anyone suspected. Anger and guilt over both his and Jack's foolishness coursed through him again. Hiccup roughly shoved it aside. Time for recriminations would come later once he determined where he landed and how best toreturn home. However, the first order of business centered on his injured arm.  
  
  
Five minutes later Hiccup examined the splint he fashioned around his right forearm. The bruised, purpling, and swelling area right in the middle announced the break, although bones did not pierce the skin. That hardly mattered since a broken limb that did not receive proper medical attention and get correctly set could hamper a person for the rest of his or her life. He thought ahead while tending to his limb and fed Toothless an emergency ration: a three-pound cake of compressed, dried fish. The beast loudly masticated it while his rider bound the forearm.  
  
  
“Okay, Toothless, I think it's time we got in the sky and figure out where we are,” he announced.  
  
  
Before he mounted, Hiccup examined the riding harness, saddle, and straps to make certain the gear did notsustain damage during the transition and fall. He stuffed his jacket into the empty emergency rations pouch while continuing the inspection. Nothing appeared to be broken or torn, so the young man awkwardly climbed aboard the dragon. Toothless obliged by lowering himself into a crouch to make it easier. Once aboard, Hiccup systematically clipped the straps to his belt. With one arm out of commission, he did not want to fall from Toothless in case they needed to take fast, defensive action. Once the safety check passed muster, Hiccup ordered the dragon aloft after jamming the padded flight helmet on his head.  
  
  
“Now north,” Hiccup commanded while nudging with a knee.  
  
  
The dragon flapped its wings and soon the sun resided on the right side of both man and beast. In a fit of caution, Hiccup only allowed Toothless to rise some twenty feet over the top of the trees. He did so in case some unseen problem with the flying gear manifested and he toppled off the back of the dragon. He reasoned he might be able to break his fall with the trees if luck returned after abandoning him and allowing the fall to happen in the first place.  
  
  
“That's why I don't trust luck,” he said aloud as though Toothless heard his inner thoughts. “It's not trustworthy. Like Gobber and my father said: it's always better to make you own. Right? Okay, let's fly!”  
  
  
Hiccup bent slightly at the waist while Toothless applied power to his wings. They shot forward across the verdant cover, turning the forest below into a gray-green blur. For ten minutes they flew as the woods proved a larger stand than Hiccup originally imagined. Hiccup twisted his head from side to side trying gauge the expanse. It seemed endless. Five more minutes passed, and he started to settle into the routine. Hiccup's nascent ease got disrupted when an odd sound reached his ears. Toothless also reacted and they both looked upward at the source.  
  
  
“What in the name of Loki?” Hiccup burbled when he spied far overhead a large, oddly configured dragon making a noise he never heard before in his life.  
  
  
Toothless growled in warning. They darted back under the safety of the forest canopy. The loud roar intensified, and dragon and man hid beneath the leaves and branches.  
  
  
“Takes a bit out of you, lad, doesn't it?” Bunny teased when Jack finally emerged from his room in Santa's North Pole fortress.  
  
  
The noise of squabbling elves and working yeti created a comforting din. Jack stretched, one hand instinctively clasping his crook, and reveled in the old familiar sounds, including the one coming from the towering rabbit standing off to one side toying with a boomerang. Without waiting to ask, a Yeti walked by holding a tray with steaming mugs on it. Jack snagged one and gratefully sipped the highly caffeinated hot chocolate found within. He sighed in pleasured. After flying to the North Pole following his arrival on Earth, Jack felt somewhat stretched thin and needed a good pick-me-up.  
  
  
“How's life in dragon-land?” Bunny asked, and the question dripped with sarcasm.  
  
  
“They'd like you there, you know? You'd make a great snack for some of those dragons. Why, we were just dodging a skrill when...”  
  
  
Jack froze in his steps. Bunny walked forward a few paces and then turned. The emerald-green eyes of the Pooka focused on him, but mirth slipped from his features. The Spirit of Hope slowly walked back toward the Spirit of Fun.  
  
  
“Jack?” He quietly questioned.  
  
  
“We were outrunning a skrill when I started to transform,” Jack all but whispered the words. “Hiccup... Isemaler... I... I don't know what happened to them?”  
  
  
E. Aster Bunnymund regarded Jack for a moment, then laid a large hand-like paw on the smaller Guardian's shoulder, and said: “If what you've told us is true about Hiccup, he's more than bright enough to take care of himself. After all, he's managed to wrangle you, right?”  
  
  
“Very funny,” Jack Frost mumbled, but his friend's words instantly sank into his mind while the power of the giant rabbit took hold on him. “Thanks.”  
  
  
Around them work continued. Yeti focused on the projects at hand while elves scrambled around looking as though productive and simultaneously creating havoc. A small boom and a cloud of smoke emerged from a terrace on the other side of the cavernous castle. Both Jack and Bunny glanced around.  
  
  
“It's a wonder they don't burn this ruddy place to the ground,” Bunnymund murmured.  
  
  
“I think they have in the past, although Santa won't admit it,” Jack replied.  
  
  
The two glanced at each other, and then started to snicker. They walked to the main meeting room of the workshop that actually served as Santa's drafting and experimental chamber. They found the large man inside bent over table and conferring with two yeti. Jack heard the man talking in his native tongue of ancient Russian, and his Guardian power immediately translated it so it sounded like English to Jack. He long since accepted it as a natural part of their abilities. The language of the yeti, however, remained a mystery to him.  
  
  
“Nick!” Jack called out.  
  
  
Santa turned, frowned for a moment, and then began to laugh. It rumbled like an avalanche in the small room, but lacked nothing in sincerity. Nicholas Saint North strolled forward to greet the other two.  
  
  
“You've slept more than normal, eh?” Santa chided him in a good-natured manner, the words rolling like thunder.  
  
  
“Jumping from one world to another is not like walking through a portal. It's take skill and bravery!” The Spirit of Fun rejoined.  
  
  
“Oh, brother,” Bunny muttered.  
  
  
Santa laughed again while grasping Jack firmly by each shoulder. The two regarded one another for a moment. Smile met smile. Of all the Guardians, Nick became something of a father-figure to Jack in the intervening years despite Jack's three-hundred-plus years of life. The very scale and size of the man became a wonder to behold. Dressed in his coarse wool shirt and red leather pants stained with inks and paints, his beard slightly in disarray from where he absentmindedly scratched his chin while thinking as he drew together his thick eyebrows, Nicholas St. North appeared every inch a legend.  
  
  
“How is your dragon-rider man?” Nick asked and his smile changed to a grin.  
  
  
“He puts up with me, so I guess he's doing okay.”  
  
  
“Just okay?”  
  
  
“Maybe a little better,” Jack said and his cheeks turned rosy.  
  
  
Santa released one hand and the clapped Jack on the shoulder. Hot chocolate sloshed out of his cup from the impact while the youngest of the Guardians stumbled to find his footing. Both Santa and Bunny laughed in unison.  
  
  
“He says maybe little better,” Nicholas guffawed. “Never saw Jack happier, and all he says is okay. I tell you!”  
  
  
Jack looked down, saw the spilled drink pool, and then vanish. Good hot chocolate never went to waste in the North Pole. However, he wished it still resided in his cup. Only a third of the drink remained. He took a sip while turning to face the two laughing Guardians.  
  
  
“Anything happen while I was away?” Inquired Jack after deciding not to make an issue of the beverage.  
  
  
“You are gone one night, what could really happen?” Santa countered.  
  
  
Once again Jack suffered his sense of temporal dislocation. A little over thirty days passed during the lunar cycle on Halla, while twenty-eight days passed on Earth. However, Jack only ever missed one evening in both places. In this regard, he knew he lived two years for the single one lived by his companion and friends. It normally took a day or two before he adjusted his internal calendar and clock. The days, weeks, and year were slightly longer on Halla, and that often caused him the most disorientation. His brain started to swim while attempting to calculate the subtle differences.  
  
  
“I think he left half his brain back there,” Bunny speculated while observing the younger man.  
  
  
“Give him peace, Bunnymund. He just got returned,” Santa encouraged the other.  
  
  
“I'll be fine by tomorrow,” Jack heartily reported. “So... what were we doing... yesterday?”  
  
  
The other Guardians got used to the fact that a full Earth month passed for Jack over the span of a lone night. Thus, he sometimes needed a refresher on what, to them, they did the day before. Since he no longer assumed Guardian duties on Halla, his dissonance could be extreme at times during his first day on Earth. Jack struggled to put one world to the side while hauling the other out of mental storage.  
  
  
“Still trying to figure out how we're going to capture that miserable Creak,” Bunny gruffly reminded him.  
  
  
“Oh, Creak!” Jack said and shuddered as he remembered.  
  
  
No one liked Creak, and not even Pitch Black. Creak went by a multiplicity of names, but all of them referred to a sound: Rustle, Scratch, Bump, Rumble, or Knock. Although no one knew for certain, most of the other Guardians believed Creak to be one of the first childhood terrors to come into being and probably far older than any could guess. Toothania speculated the Sandman got created to counter Creak. Sandy did not appear to know the full history of the creature, but indicated he always knew about Creak. The Man in the Moon never offered an opinion. Yet everyone agreed on one fact: Creak proved insidious.  
  
  
Jack could still recall Santa reading out of the Tome of Peril one of the passages regarding Creak:  
  
  
“A bump in the night. The knock on the wall. The creak of the door hinge. Nothing is there, but it is felt. It hides behind imagination and uses it. It lives unseen, save for the pale twin dots like dying daylight hovering for a moment and then blinking out of sight. It is the first image of a new nightmare when nothing makes sense. It feeds on the initial whimper, the beginning trace of fear. It gnaws on uncertainty. It feasts on the nameless dread between moon-set and sunrise. The scratch on the bedpost. The voiceless whisper of unknowable words. The footstep in the hall when no one is home. It is the creak of the floorboard as it approaches. It comes and cannot be stopped.”  
  
  
The Guardians tried to stop the entity as much as they could intermittently over the years. Yet Creak proved elusive and could not dominate all of their time. The Sandman brought dreams and deep slumber. Toothania and her minions became watchers in the night. The toys from Santa clutched to the breast in the dark of night acted as token guardians. The familiar sweet scent of grass and flowers brought by Bunny as he passed warded against intrusion. The memories of fun, regardless of the time of year, from Jack's goading formed a battlement against nightmares. The Guardians did all they could, and yet Creak managed to appear and act no matter how strong the wards they placed.  
  
  
“He...” Bunny stared to say.  
  
  
“How do you know it's a he?” Toothania said as she swooped in. “Good morning, Jack. Did you sleep well when you got in? Misty saw you flying over Saskatchewan.”  
  
  
“It feels like I slept for a month,” Jack reminded the Tooth Fairy.  
  
  
“Still getting adjusted?”  
  
  
His white-haired head bobbed once. His iridescent friend nodded in an understanding fashion while her minions, seeming smaller versions of her, flew about. One in particular left the group and hovered over Jack's left shoulder. He smiled at the small Tooth Fairy.  
  
  
“Hello, Baby Tooth. Seems like ages since I last saw you,” he softly said.  
  
  
Baby Tooth let out with a series of cheeps, and then smiled at him.  
  
  
“Right back at you,” Jack said with genuine affection.  
  
  
“Okay,” said Santa in his deep, booming voice. “Whatever it is, Creak outsmarts us at every turn. What are we doing wrong?”  
  
  
No spoke up for several seconds. At times some of their foes taxed even the generous imaginations of the collected Guardians. While each specialized in one aspect, their strength came from their ability to cooperate and act as one.  
  
  
“I've never seen... it. I don't even know what we're fighting,” Jack finally admitted. “What does Creak look like?”  
  
  
Bunny, Santa, and Toothania glanced at one another. The giant rabbit fidgeted where he stood.  
  
  
“I've, ah, never seen him, either,” Bunny confessed.  
  
  
“Me, neither,” Toothania added.  
  
  
“Or me,” Santa joined in.  
  
  
“What about Sandy?” Jack inquired.  
  
  
Since one whole day of night passed and morning hung over them, everyone knew the Sandman went to his own well-earned slumber in whatever time dimension he occupied. Per their usual custom, Sandy would seek them out when he rose at sunset and before beginning his nightly rounds of a new twenty-four our cycle. Normally the Guardians did not meet so often, but Jack's double-duty gave them an excuse to meet at least once a month to help him recall where he left off on Earth day before.  
  
  
The three other Guardians shrugged.  
  
  
“I think maybe Creak materializes and dematerializes at will, like you and the Sandman can, Jack,” Santa offered a possible explanation as to why none ever saw the being.  
  
  
The Spirit of Wonder raised an interesting point. Only the Spirit of Dreams and the Spirit of Fun could become incorporeal at will. The others, the Spirit of Hope and the Spirit of Memories and Nick, remained solid at all times. They used other forms of magic to transport to where need called them and to bypass physical barriers. The ability to dematerialize also did not appear common in the forces they fought. The peculiarity and rarity of the ability never occurred to Jack since he always could do it from the day he rose out of the lake at the calling of The Man of the Moon.  
  
  
“But Creak gives... himself...,” Bunny began and shot Toothania a look as he assigned a gender, “away with those eyes. Always that weird orange color. Always for only a few seconds.”  
  
  
“But it is enough to know where... he is,” Santa surmised.  
  
  
“Maybe she can't help it, like way Bunny always smells like spring,” Toothania chimed in.  
  
  
“Wish we had a dragon,” Jack mumbled as he took in all the information.  
  
  
“Why's that, lad?” Bunny queried.  
  
  
Jack's head snapped up. He suddenly realized he spoke aloud. The three other Guardians silently regarded him. He twiddled the crook in his hands while thinking.  
  
  
“I've told you before: dragons could see me even when I was immaterial and invisible. I don't know what it is they can see, but they always knew where I was. Even Isemaler has the same problem,” he told them.  
  
  
“Well, I don't see any dragons around, but maybe next time you're in Halla, you can find out how they do it,” Bunny said with a bit of irritation in his voice.  
  
  
Jack grimaced at Bunnymund, but Toothania laid a hand on his shoulder to forestall the impending argument. Although now great friends, the seeming young man and giant rabbit tended to routinely argue over minor issues. It formed part of the basis of their relationship, and stretched back for hundreds of years.  
  
  
“That's at least a month away and it doesn't answer the problem now,” Toothania interjected when Jack appeared ready to ignore the more subtle hint.  
  
  
“Yeah, but... I need to try something next time I get near Creak: I need to see if I can touch... him when I'm immaterial. I can touch Sandy and even Pitch when we're in phase, so maybe the same rule applies,” Jack thought aloud again.  
  
  
“Now you're thinking,” Bunny remarked, and a touch of sarcasm edged his words.  
  
  
“We all need to think,” Nick quickly inserted into the conversation before Jack could respond. “We need to know. We need to discover more about Creak. All my years I've put with whatever it is. He steals toys... or hides them, and that I cannot have!”  
  
  
“And teeth,” Toothania stated, her wings visibly shaking with anger and frustration. “I think Creak knows how tooth magic works.”  
  
  
“I think he knows a lot more about us than we know about him,” Bunny darkly commented. “He can turn chocolate to dust.”  
  
  
Jack knew better than to tease Bunny when something of rabbit's realm got threatened.  
  
  
Given that Easter recently passed and summer approached the northern hemisphere, Jack considered his options while the rest of his team slipped into private thought. Winters differed in the southern hemisphere, tending to be warmer with few snowstorms or chances for him to ply his trade. Jack often went to higher elevations, circled the poles, or visited mountain-dwelling people to carry out his mission. Moreover, the youngest of the Guardians spent time learning to separate his identity from that of Nicholas Saint North. Many humans in the northern hemisphere assumed where Santa Claus went, Jack Frost followed. The truth, however, tended to be the opposite. Jack arrived long before St. Nick and stayed long after.  
  
  
“I'm heading down to Chile and Argentina after Sandy checks in,” Jack announced when the silence lingered too long and he could think of nothing to add to the conversation about Creak. “It gets lonely in the mountains for some of those children.”  
  
  
“Si,” Toothania agreed.  
  
  
“Swing by the Warren if you want,” Bunny offered.  
  
  
“I might,” the Spirit of Fun mumbled.  
  
  
“When do you plan to return here, Jack?” Nick inquired.  
  
  
“When you need me or if an emergency comes up. I'm going to try and find out just how far Creak travels. We need to know where he's active the most.”  
  
  
“Good thinking,” the giant rabbit stated and, this time, he spoke with sincerity. “If you do find him, see if you can give him a right good boot in the bum, eh?”  
  
  
Jack grinned wickedly at his friend.  
  
  
“Don't bite off more than you can chew and swallow,” Nick cautioned. “Creak is old and powerful, so he might be dangerous even for a Guardian.”  
  
  
“I'll keep that in mind. I just want to find him first,” Jack said while becoming immaterial and floating off the ground. His staff gleamed with native frost power despite being newly fashioned.  
  
  
“Go read the Tome of Peril while you've got the time,” Nick encouraged him.  
  
  
“Ugh,” Jack said and let his face droop.  
  
  
“Not all fun and games being a guarding, Jack,” Bunny smugly asserted.  
  
  
“You're right, so you can read it with me!”  
  
  
“Can't. I, ah, still got some cleaning up to do in the Warren from Easter. Busy time, you know.”  
  
  
Everyone eyed the rabbit with a knowing look. The Tome of Peril did not belong to the Guardians. Rumor said Nick borrowed it from a friend, a strange man named Ombric Shalazar. If other rumors could be trusted, and the elves liked to gossip with the Tooth Fairy's minions, then Ombric appeared to be wizard from olden times and kept to himself in a magic tree somewhere in Siberia protected by dense layers of both fortification and magic. Some said Ombric created a special community in the tree and named it Santoff Claussen. Nicholas Saint North took exception to the name since it borrowed from one of his nom de plumes by which he signed gifts to children. Other than knowing about the existence of the wizard, none of the Guardians ever admitted to interacting with him. Hence, the Tome of Peril remained a useful if worrisome object in the keep of the North Pole.  
  
  
“I've read it cover to cover,” Toothania said as an excuse to keep from peering at the disturbing pages.  
  
  
“It is all for you now, Jack. Do not fear it, my friend, since there is knowledge to be found there,” Santa wisely counseled, but did not offer to read it with him.  
  
  
“Well, that's all settled. I'm off. I'll be back when the Sandman wakes,” Bunny quickly stated.  
  
  
The tall rabbit with interesting spiral patterns of darker gray fur in his hide thumped the floor twice with one of his large feet. A swirling portal opened in front of him. Bunnymund nodded once to each of his fellow Guardians and then hopped into the magic hole. It hissed once as the aperture to Warren squeezed itself shut.  
  
  
“Children are waiting on the other side of the world,” Toothania reminded them. “I'll also return for our meeting. Baby Tooth?”  
  
  
The miniature version of the Tooth Fairy looked from her mistress to Jack and back again.  
  
  
“Keep a good eye on that one,” the flying Spirit of Memories ordered her minion.  
  
  
“She always does,” Jack rejoined.  
  
  
Baby Tooth happily cheeped. In a turquoise flash and a buzz of wings, Toothania zipped upward toward the oculus that gave her entrance to the North Pole fortress. In a blur she disappeared, trailing mini fairies in her wake like magic dust. Jack watched convinced Toothania could probably out-fly him in a head-to-head race. He guessed his top speed to be around Mach two, but the Tooth Fairy seemed able to fly at least twice as fast as that without even trying. The Spirit of Fun once heard Santa comment his sleigh and reindeer could not keep up with her. Jack turned to ask Nick a question, but the man already walked toward his main planning table and a yeti sidled next to him.  
  
  
“Looks like it's just you and me, Tooth,” Jack quietly said.  
  
  
Baby Tooth uttered a fast series of squeaks that Jack's magic translated for him.  
  
  
“I do miss him already,” he sighed and a white plume of breath billowed forth. “It's going to be a long month away from him.”  
  
  
With his self-appointed guardian hovering next to his head, Jack floated toward the great library of the North Pole. Granted, most of the books centered on toy-making and woodworking, but many volumes of the secret history of Earth also rested on the shelves. Few understood Santa Claus to be a voracious reader. However, given that he could scan a complete worldwide list of the naughty and nice children in a single evening, it made perfect sense. Because the North Pole served as the unofficial headquarters of the Guardians, Nick allowed the others nearly free rein within the castle. The man even provided the only bedroom Jack used on Earth since becoming an immortal despite the infrequent occupancy. However, sleep did not concern Jack as he searched out the library and a room within containing a single book.  
  
  
The Tome of Peril sat alone on a special stand on a dais specially constructed for it by the yeti. Made from ironwood trees fused together by the powerful grip of the yeti, it looked ordinary and unremarkable. Ironwood got selected because it could withstand the faint power seeping out from the pages that described the various foes and evils of the world the Guardians faced. Although Jack knew it technically did not live, it acted alive. He approached it slowly while the large candles sitting in wall sconces came magically to flame. Baby Tooth lit on his shoulder when they stood before the book.  
  
  
“Tome of Peril,” Jack said in a ritual manner, “show me the truth about the one called Creak.”  
  
  
The Tome of Peril looked like any other leather clad, bound book, except it perhaps three times as big. A single marking in gold on the spine gave any indication the words between the covers might be something different. The front cover of the book slowly lifted and flopped to one side. Then three pages flipped over as well. As Jack stared at the Tome of Peril, the markings gradually resolved into words he could read.  
  
  
“Long before humans raised cattle and grew grain, people lived hard lives and the night gave them much to fear,” the immortal elemental young man read aloud. Baby Tooth leaned against his neck as he did. “Light from a fire only reached so far, and lying in the open was not safe. In the plains and woods surrounding them, humans heard the sounds that could quickly end their lives. Thus, people forever wake to sounds in the night.”  
  
  
“Cheep,” Baby Tooth nervously cheeped.  
  
  
“No kidding,” Jack agreed and then continued. “When humans used caves as shelter and protection, their fears continued to lurk in the darkness. Sounds of threat from the outside could be heard within: a scratch of a claw on the ground, the snap of a twig of an approaching predator, or the skittering of a poisonous creature. These sounds took root in the minds of humans, and from those early days did it give birth to a primal terror.”  
  
  
Baby Tooth quivered. Jack leaned his head slightly to one side to offer comfort. He tightened his grip on his staff.  
  
  
“The power of belief, the certainty something lay in wait to bring destruction and harm, brought the fears to life. From mother to daughter, from father to son, and from grandparent to grandchild the fears got passed down, and something sprang into being in lightless recesses of both caves and the imagination. In the darkness it grew, feeding on the doubts and worries of the people. It became as real as what the humans imagined.”  
  
  
Jack stopped and stared at the page. Deep within his mind he recognized the story as part of his own. For nearly three centuries he yearned to be noticed by people. The youngest of the immortals never forgot those lonely days, even when vying against the Guardians before he came one. Something inside of him, an undefined want, drove Jack to work for the attention of the mortal word. Cast in the light of his own life, the tale of Creak chilled him a little more. He reached out and flipped over the page.  
  
  
“Oh, here's the part I never forget,” Jack told cheap and then read aloud the short passage Santa used to introduce him to Creak. When he finished, he said to his small companion: “Makes it seem too real, huh?”  
  
  
“Cheep... cheep!” Baby Tooth responded.  
  
  
“Yeah, I guess Creak is kind of like one of us.”  
  
  
Jack continued to read out loud, yet the words hardly yielded anything new. Much of what he read could be easily guessed: Creak worked mainly at night, tended to avoid sunlight, favored sounds over actual appearances, and modern modes of lighting did not seem to affect him. The rest of what the Spirit of Fun learned centered on how Creak used noises to heighten the terror of people – and not just children – that appeared to be his main form of sustenance. Once more, Jack considered how he, himself, thrived on belief. It gave him the power to become visible and solid. Thoughts percolated in his head.  
  
  
“I wonder,” he said as he closed the book, stroked Baby Tooth's small noggin to calm her shivering, and they departed the great library.

 


	2. Chapter 2

Hiccup sat before the small fire in small hallow he and Toothless found for protection. Around him the daylight faded. His leather riding armor sat off to one side getting some much needed air. In front of him, the smell of the roasting rabbit teased his senses. To his left the dragon lay and gnawed on the remainder of a deer the beast dispatched with graceful, quick ease. Part of Hiccup's mind worried the smell of fresh blood might attract other predators, yet the basso profundo growl of the dragon appeared to keep other carnivores well away. Hiccup poked the roasting flesh of the rabbit to check its state.

“Never liked raw food,” Hiccup muttered and gazed at the feasting dragon. “I guess some fish isn't too bad. How about we go find some eel?”

Toothless' square irises narrowed to slits as he looked over and he let out with a slow rumble of warning.

“Just teasing you, bud,” the human said and affectionately slapped the solid haunch of the creature.

The dragon's tale thumped him in the back of the head.

“Guess I deserved that,” Hiccup admitted and grinned.

The young Viking man sat and examined his arm for the umpteenth time that day. The bruising spread and indicated the extent of the damage. The makeshift splint, however, proved Hiccup learned his field techniques well. Given the amount of time he spent exploring alone or just with Jack, those skills became a necessity. The thought of the Guardian made his heart beat a little faster.

“Hope he made it home,” he mumbled, and then spoke louder: “Remind me to have that talk again with Isemaler. I think I'm beginning to understand how he got killed so young.”

Hiccup instantly felt guilty about the statement. Grimtooth Skovaks died trying to protect his siblings during an incursion of the Manglers, a band of marauders so ruthless even the other marauders and pirates cut a wide circle around them. Grimtooth gave his very last breath to keep his brothers, sisters, and cousins alive. He also did so with a sense of humor that bordered on the truly bizarre. According to Noro the Sky Dancer, Grimtooth told jokes and made puns to keep the Manglers confused and disoriented. He managed to draw the attention of the marauders and then away from the terrified children. His not-quite-dead, broken, and mangled body got thrown over a cliff into the cold waters as a result of taking on the collective ire of the feared, nomadic Vikings. Noro rewarded the bravery and self-sacrifice of the young man, just eighteen years old at the time, with the powers of Isemaler. Unlike the Earth Isemaler, the Hallan Isemaler remembered every detail of his life and death.

“Sorry, Isemaler,” Hiccup apologized and toyed with the fire in a futile attempt to make the rabbit cook faster.

In the time he thought of the transition of Grimtooth Skovaks to Isemaler, the sun dipped below the horizon. The Viking felt completely foreign as he watched the sun set in the west. One edge of the world descended into darkness as the valiant rays of the setting sun struggled to illuminate the other. Hiccup spent the past two days coming to terms with the fact he could not be on Halla. The things he saw flying through the sky could not be dragons, he reasoned, since the creatures never flapped their wings and roared without halt. On the evening of the day he and Toothless discovered the flying monstrosities, Hiccup urged his friend to fly fairly high into the air to get a better sense of the land around them. Although using the cover of darkness, Toothless seemed reluctant and always kept one eye aimed toward the sky. However, the exercise yielded good information. Far in the distance, southwest of their current position, he saw the glow of what could only be a town on high alert. Perhaps they lit fires to ward off the airborne fiends. Their efforts got cut short when another soared over their heads and Toothless shot back toward the ground. In the growing darkness, Hiccup tried to assess their situation.

“Okay, if we're not on Halla... and where did he get that name?” Hiccup began and distracted himself with something only Jack seemed to know. “No one else calls our world that.”

Toothless answered by loudly crunching on bones. Hiccup recalled all he could remember of the events right up the bright light that enveloped them. He strung the facts together.

“Right, okay, so... hold on! If Jack was transitioning... no!”

The logic blasted across his mind, and as much as Hiccup wanted to deny the possibility, it seemed the only conclusion. The Viking swallowed against the fear rising in his throat. Nothing he heard from Jack about the immortal's home world gave Hiccup any desire to visit the place. True, Earth did not possess the same dragon, marauder, and winter threats, but some of the stories Jack told of how the people of planet acted scared him beyond reason. These people actually figured out a way to destroy their planet if they wanted. Hiccup understood the concept of bombs, having created a few in his time, but the scale of the ones created by the people of Earth left him in shock. Moreover, they possessed technological advances he could barely conceive. It seemed for every advance they made, the people of Earth used it to destroy their world with hardly a thought. A visceral fear began to gnaw at him.

“Toothless, if this is Earth, then we've got some serious problems,” he stated in a dry voice. “If they discover us....”

Hiccup could not bring himself to finish the thought. Jack used phrases and words to describe certain aspects of Earth and its denizens. One of the words that took Hiccup several days to fully comprehend and master sprang instantly to mind. However, once he did understand the full ramifications, he saw it also applied to his people to a large extent. Hiccup did not like the word.

“These people are xenophobic. They won't understand you or me... especially you. They'll think your some kind of crazy experiment. They'll do... oh, gods, we've got to keep you hid, bud!”

Since meeting Jack Frost roughly eight months before, Hiccup always appreciated but never fully understood the bravery of Guardian. Now that he found himself in similar circumstances, the Viking wondered if he could hold up as well. Jack, faced with the unknown and his own fate, never seemed to fear it. Somehow, Jack used his fear to bolster his resolve and strength. Hiccup marveled anew at the man he loved. A new thought entered his mind.

“If he could do it, so can I! We just have to think our way through this. Okay, so if this is Earth, I already know something about it. That's good. Jack never had that when he came to Halla. I've got an advantage... of course, he had his powers... but I've got a dragon!”

Toothless rumbled again, but this time it sounded defiant. In the distance, the Viking saw something twinkle between the trunks of trees. Hiccup fixed his sight on it, although his best friend did not seem concerned. For over an hour, even while he ate his roasted rabbit and Toothless curled up to sleep, Hiccup kept watch. Slowly the moon crested the trees overhead. Finally, the Viking came to know why his beloved stared at the moon of Halla with a seeming look of disappointed. The moon of Earth radiated in a way the Hallan one did not. Hiccup immediately saw the face in the far off object circling the planet, as Jack explained to how planets and moons worked. Moreover, the Viking recognized the silvery-white light. He saw it once before in what seemed like a dream, but he knew it as real.

“You're The Man in the Moon,” he said to the glowing orb.

The light appeared to pulse as though recognizing Hiccup spoke to it.

“Jack says you don't talk to anyone here unless you really, really have to. Why?”

He got no answer even though he waited several minutes.

“Please, I'm pretty sure I'm on Earth... and I don't know if Jack knows. Can you tell him for me?” Hiccup requested and it nearly sounded like begging in his ears.

Despite the subtle power Hiccup felt from the light which he hoped did not stem from his imagination, he received no response. The moon, almost completely full and round, continued its climb into the sky. He remembered Jack recounting how frustrating it became knowing The Man in the Moon hovered above yet interacted so infrequently as to almost be absent. However, Jack also said such inattention gave him latitude to forge his own path. Thus, it mollified Hiccup's sense of disappointment when he got no outward sign from The Man in the Moon.

“Guess I have to do this on my own, huh?” Hiccup said while eyeing the moon from the corner of his green eyes. “You know that makes you a lot like my father? I'm not sure if that's a compliment or not.”

A few seconds later he added: “Sorry, Dad, but you did tell me what to do a lot without ever actually telling how I should do it or why.” Then he shrugged his shoulders saying, “Maybe that's how all fathers are.”

The moon appeared to pulse one last time before simply shining with intelligent light.

Hiccup stopped staring it at and focused on his the remains of his meal. He began to take full stock of his situation, not the least of which included facing his circumstances with a broken arm. He sighed and leaned back against Toothless. The warmth of the dragon quickly soaked through his wool shirt and brought comfort. He latched onto the fact he did not confront this alone as Jack did. He closed his eyes as he pondered. Slowly Hiccup drifted off to sleep.

A twig snapped and both human and dragon sat up. The fire used to cook the meal lay reduced to a few glowing embers. Hiccup resisted the urge to throw fuel on it since light would destroy both his and Toothless' night vision. He scanned the surrounding area while his winged companion did the same. Nothing moved. Two days of a dragon growling and gnashing at the other wildlife appeared to keep the other predators at bay; however, an uneasy sense of foreboding crept over Hiccup. He huddled closer to Toothless. A rumble issued through the body of the creature. Whatever lurked in the dark of the forest, the Viking thought, the dragon sensed it.

“If it moves near us, blast it,” Hiccup told his best friend.

Toothless' lips cracked open, teeth retracted, and a faint blue glow began to issue from his maw. Toothless appeared to be nothing more than a dark outline in the dark of night, save luminescence of the plasma he prepared to hurl. Hiccup could see the dragon's head slowly track to one side, his great yellow-green eyes fixed on a distant point. In an unconscious but well-practiced motion, the Viking reached down and uncovered the hilt of the flame sword. Without a single compunction, Hiccup would set alight anything that threatened either him or his dragon. He waited and watched. Toothless did the same.

“If you think you can take on both of us, try it,” the Viking said to the lurking presence. “I could use a good fight right about now. Eh, Toothless?”

Jets of mixed smoke and steam shot out of the dragons nostrils. The blue glow from the wide ebony mouth grew brighter. Hiccup felt the powerful body tense in preparation for one action or another.

Between the trees roughly twenty feet away, Hiccup thought he saw something orange or red. It flashed once, dully, and then disappeared. Slowly the feeling of threat began to subside. He felt the dragon incrementally relax. After a couple of minutes, the night seemed peaceful as though nothing occurred.

“What was that?” Hiccup asked aloud and ran a hand through his hair.

Toothless extinguished the nascent plasma bolt and then looked at his human friend. Neither one seemed to know what to make of the moment. They surveyed the area again and returned to staring at one another.

“I don't think we can stay here much longer, bud. We've got to figure out a way to find Jack... or maybe some of his friends. I don't know what that... thing was, but I don't want it to come back while we're sleeping again.”

Toothless grumbled in seeming agreement.

The two nestled against one another, but sleep did not come easily. For the most part, they napped until dawn. The day broke gray and dreary, and it carried with it a threat of rain. While rain never bothered the dragon, the human did not relish the fact his flying gear and clothing would get soaked. Leather, once wet, took a long time to dry. Thus, Hiccup gained even more reasons to discover where they landed and how to get someplace else. Unfortunately, and he privately admitted his misfortune, the clever Viking could not even begin to guess their location on Earth. Jack never once drew a map or explained the topographical features of his home world. In many respect, Hiccup knew he and Toothless would be flying blind.

“Alright, what do we know?” He said to Toothless while picking at the remains of the rabbit carcass. After spending two days eating a deer, the dragon seemed sated. “Jack likes cold places, so that means north. Right now we're not in a cold place, so... we're somewhere south?”

Toothless ignored him and tried to sleep.

“But how far south... and south of what?” Hiccup grumbled.

The Viking drew a square in the dirt and pretended it served as the edge of a map. He drew a small tree to indicate the forest in which they resided. Somewhat to the south and east he made a circle representing the glow light he saw during one of the forays into the sky. He assumed it to be a city since Jack once described the urban settings of Earth as being lit by artificial means. If memory served, and Hiccup took pride in his, it appeared mountains lay far to the north, but he could not tell the distance based on his quick glance. Thus, at the top edge, he made small hummocks to show possible mountains. He glumly studied his scant map.

“Not a lot to go on,” he conceded.

However, Hiccup valued such knowledge since being able to coordinate flying required it. He pulled out his notebook and makeshift pencil. Using deft strokes, the young Viking man transferred the sketch in the dirt to his notebook. Clean, neat lines replaced the scrawls on the ground.

“Jack talked about... Santa living in the north. North... something. Not a place, but a thing. What was that?”

Hiccup strained his mind to recall some of the details. He found his imagination taxed in trying to picture the world from which his beloved elemental man originated. It all sounded so foreign and strange. Jack could speak in exotic terms regarding his planet that left the mind reeling, and do so for hours on end. Sometimes it proved too much to take in and memorize. Hiccup wished he paid closer attention, although he confessed he never once believed he would find himself on Earth. He never even entertained the notion because it seemed impossible for him to make the journey.

“Isemaler needs to be careful with his powers,” Hiccup muttered while closing his notebook. He looked at his winged friend and said: “Water. We need to find you some water. That's important.”

The degree of planning required for a trip of unknown duration and distance used a considerable part of Hiccup's mind. It kept his sense of fear at bay. It seemed better to advance toward something than running from something, he told himself as the day wore on and he organized their few possessions. He checked and rechecked Toothless' harness, saddle, and tack to make certain it would perform as needed. He examined his arm, and then spent several hours fashioning better splints from wood he found lying on the ground. Hunger made his stomach complain, but Hiccup decided he could survive one day without food. When the later afternoon arrived, a light rain did as well.

“Great!” Hiccup sarcastically spat as he took refuge under one of Toothless' outstretched wings.

The human and dragon friends whiled away the last hours of daylight attempting to keep the human dry. Toothless, ever the smart dragon, cupped his other wing and allowed water to collect in the depression. Hiccup sat impressed beyond measure at the cleverness of the creature at managing to slake his own thirst. When the sun set and an inky blackness settled over the land, the time to put plans into action came.

“Actually, the rain and clouds might help,” Hiccup mused as he climbed out from under the wing into the steady drizzle. “You'll be harder to see. Maybe fewer people will be out.”

With that, the Viking ordered the dragon to shake its body. Heavy droplets of water sailed through the air. Then Hiccup climbed aboard the wet saddle, strapped himself in, and thought for a moment. They needed to travel north, but only a general sense of the direction presented itself to the young man. However, the main concern would center on avoiding populated areas. Hiccup hoped Earth did not boast large numbers of people.

“Let's fly, bud. Up!” He commanded the dragon.

Toothless unfurled his wings, stretched them once, and then curled them back while rising up on his haunches. A single powerful kick of his back legs sent them skyward while his wings automatically extended into the air and began flapping. Powerful down strokes lifted the duo off the ground. Gradually they eased above the tree line in a slower mode than dragon normally used. Hiccup immediately began to crane his head about. To the southeast lay the biggest glow of the city. To the east and north lay more blobs of yellowish-white light, but not nearly as large. In the northwest he saw a dark corridor. Their flight path became clear.

“This way,” Hiccup said and used his knees to steer the dragon. He raised an arm and stated: “Aim for that dark region over there.”

With a path laid out before him, the dragon began to beat his wings. Feasting on a deer for two days and managing to collect enough rain water gave the beast strength to easily sail on through wet night. Beneath them more forest passed. Hiccup could not imagine what lay before them, but the alternative of sitting in one place hiding became unpalatable for him. The Viking needed to act.

Far, far to the west Jack flew invisibly up the steep slopes of mountains. The cold air dipped past the freezing mark, and it felt very good. No elemental being controlled winter on Earth as happened on Halla, and the randomness rather pleased the Guardian. Moreover, the unusual topography of the Andes Mountains also appealed to him. In less than a year Jack came to love Halla, the wide oceans dotted with islands and pockets of people, but at times he missed the wide land masses. Chile provided that in ample measure. The children in the small villages scattered along the entire length of the mountain range also proved vastly different from the Hallan children. Chilean children did not seem as aggressive and vocal as the children of Berk, a fact Jack did not disparage at all. Rather, he enjoyed the contrast of life. However, his ruminations did highlight a single point.

“I really miss him,” Jack said to himself as he flew up to a village he discovered simply because the lighted windows looked like square stars against the dark backdrop of the mountainside.

It only took forty-eight hours for the Guardian to feel deep pangs of longing for the young Viking man who lived on another world in another dimension. Moreover, he assumed Hiccup most likely continued to try to outrace the skill. Jack regretted he once more forgot to count the days to his transformation. He could already hear Hiccup loudly complaining about what got them into the situation. Jack grinned. Like Earth and Halla, Jack and Hiccup both complimented and contrasted one another. While their union took work on a daily basis, neither saw it as an effort to create a single entity out of two unique parts. Rather, they viewed themselves meshing like parts of a machine: integrated but distinct with each serving both a singular and unified purpose. Unlike most relationships, this one contained a very real and large third part. It came in the form of a dragon.

“Does he get why I want one... need one?” He asked as he flew over a house and came to light on the roof. Then he sank through while turning fully invisible.

Inside the house, small and sparse compared to the counterparts found in North America, the family sat engaged in various activities. A father showed a daughter and son how to examine and mend the implements used in herding. Jack unconsciously hugged his crook closer to his body. On the other side of the room that served as both a dining area and living room, the mother held on child on a hip while feeding another propped in a chair. Although poor by urban western standards, the family seemed happy and whole. Jack watched the sun and wind-tanned faces. He did not sense emotional or psychological want in any of them. He smiled and stepped through the wall into the outside world. Before leaving, he carefully drew an intricate fern pattern on one of the windows. It would last throughout the night, but the morning sun would erase his artwork in short order.

“Good grief, I think I might be jealous of Toothless,” Jack softly exclaimed and floated upward as he resumed his thinking.

The slender young-looking man with white hair and startlingly ice blue eyes dressed in a blue hooded sweatshirt with somewhat mismatched leather britches paused in midair as he considered his last statement. The frost patterns on the shoulders and sleeves of the sweatshirt sparkled in the starlight. He ran a hand through his slightly mussed hair. He leaned against his staff as though the tip rested on solid ground.

“When Hiccup found out what Gobber said...”

With that Jack began to remember the conversation held on a place further away than most could imagine.

“It's like this, lad: Hiccup sort of made Toothless and Toothless sort of made him,” the stout smith explained one evening nearly two months before. “Each one became more together than they were separate, and that's what your struggling against. Ye understand what I mean?”

“I think so,” Jack replied as he slowly pulled the long knife against the wood to shape the edge. “And I don't want to do anything to disrupt that...”

“Oh, too late for that!”

Jack eyed the one-handed, one-footed Viking. He caught the warning note in the man's voice. Once he completed the cut on the board, he stopped and waited.

“No, no, it's not like that,” Gobber said and held up his one good hand that currently grasped a set of tongs securing a glowing red piece of metal. “I'm not saying you're an intrusion, Jackie.”

Jack did not like the nickname that Gobber took to calling him when in private. However, he preferred it over Ghost Boy. Twice the smith' apprentices, Fartbritches and Moldy, heard the phrase get thrown around. Moldy, by far the smarter of the two, once cornered Jack.

“What does he mean by ghost boy?” Moldy asked some weeks before when Jack finally got his workshop in full working order.

“It's the way the Fishwife found me,” Jack quickly replied despite the fact he told Moldy this on several occasions. Those who knew his real story discussed his sudden appearance as a mortal to make sure they all said the same thing. “I don't know why I didn't drown, so Gobber thinks I'm half ghost.”

“Oh, really?” Moldy rejoined and did not sound convinced.

“Ever hear his theory on trolls?”

The knowledge an unseen world existed around the Berk convinced Gobber his theory about sock-stealing trolls must be true. Jack valiantly tried to dispel the belief by saying he, himself, never once saw troll during his tenure as Isemaler. Gobber could not be dissuaded. Everyone on the island knew about the man's idea and actively avoided talking about it whenever possible. Thus, Jack felt certain he scored a point with Moldy.

“Yeah, there is that,” Moldy conceded.

“Besides, why would he worry about left socks? Gobber only has his right foot?” Jack piled on the diversion. “And how does he tell a left one from a right one anyway?”

Moldy laughed at that, and the topic of conversation shifted. From that point on, Jack rounded on Gobber each time he used the term Ghost Boy until the man began to monitor himself. As a result, the name Jackie appeared.

“No, not what I'm saying at all,” Gobber continued as Jack returned to the present. “Ye're not an intrusion. Not sure what'd be left of Hiccup if ye hadn't been around. He might be gone.”

Jack's mouth fell open.

“For the love of Thor, stop jumping to conclusions! I don't mean he'd be dead!”

“You really need to think before you speak,” the immortal in mortal form retorted.

“Ye'd be surprised how many times I hear that,” Gobber responded and grinned his snaggletooth grin.

“No, I wouldn't.”

Gobber pushed his bulk away from the stone-mounted anvil, set the metal back into the forge to reheat, and then made a show of smoothing down his dragon-hide work apron. The apron came from the days long past when Vikings and the flying beasts lived in a constant state of warfare due to the fearsome Red Dragon. Jack never saw the creature, but those who did all painted a very clear and terrifying picture. Sometimes Jack thought it a bit distasteful Gobber continued to wear the apron, yet the sheer value of it to a smith mitigated complaints. Moreover, the dragons – including the Gobber's treasured Grump – did not seem to mind or take offense.

“Grump, fires,” the blonde headed Viking, although gray made up half the color, yelled at the enormous bulk of the dragon.

Grump let out with a burp and sent a white-hot tongue of flame into the forge's underbelly. The fires roared to life. Gobber patted the docile dragon as he walked past. It served as a reminder of why the conversation took place.

“Ye just don't understand what it's like with a dragon,” Gobber said and his voice took on a softer, loving tone. “Once they trust ye, and I mean when that bond is really there... can't believe we ever wanted to kill them.”

For half a second Jack though Gobber might shed a tear. Instead, the man turned a gentle gaze toward Grump. The seemingly comatose dragon snored and Gobber smiled.

“Those were different times, Master Gobber,” Jack said in the quiet moment.

“Aye, very different. Seems like a whole lifetime... whole world away, it does.”

The older Viking and what looked like a younger man regarded one another for a few seconds.

“He loves ye, Jackie. Make no mistake about that. Everyone knows it and none'll gainsay it... except maybe Astrid and a few others who didn't fare so well during... well, ye knows ‘bout that and all,” Gobber told him and his voice dropped nearly to a whisper at the end, but then he picked up. “But Hiccups loves ye as much as he does Toothless, so what're ye worrying about?”

Jack frowned, harrumphed once, and replied: “It's not that I'm worried, it's just... it's something I really don't understand, and I don't like not understanding it. I know Hiccup needs time alone with Toothless, but... I... sort of feel...”

“Left out,” the master smith completed for him when the elemental man hiding in plain sight faltered. “But that's fixed easy enough.”

“How?”

“Get yerself yer own dragon. It's not as if anybody told ye not to.”

Gray eyes met brown eyes that stared in amazement at the obvious answer.

“Oh, now don't go looking at me like that! Ye've got to think this through first. It's not like there's a shop where ye can just go up and pick one out,” Gobber firmly stated.

“But isn't that how the first set of dragon riders got started? Hiccup told me how they already had dragons in the area...” Jack began to protest.

“But those were different times,” the man interrupted. “Don't forget why they were there in the first place!”

That did give Jack pause, but then his eyes narrowed. He set down the long knife, and folded his arms across his chest. He also wore a leather apron, but it came from an elk hide. Gobber took on an apprehensive air. Neither the smith nor Fishlegs ever forgot the vast powers Jack could call up in an emergency. Although granted a more permanent mortal status, his true being could not be entirely suppressed. During an attack by a whispering death on one of the outer islands, Jack transformed under extreme duress into his Guardian form without willing it to happen. Once the threat ended, he reverted to his mortal guise. It proved that under normal circumstances he could no longer change at will.

“Don't give me that look,” Gobber demanded.

“And how did you get Grump?”

“Ye know perfectly well how I got that lazy sod!”

Jack continued to eye the man.

“Look, laddie, yes, there are dragons all around us, but it's not like ye just walk up to the first one ye see and hold out yer hand... likely to lose it that way. Ye've got to think about what it is ye're really doing and why!” The smith protested.

“So you're suggesting I should explore my options?” The hidden Guardian muttered.

“Yes,” Gobber responded and then seemed jolted. “No, no, not what I'm saying at all.”

Jack did not entirely hear the man. He felt his mouth begin to twist upward into a sly grin. He did hear the smith sigh.

“Great Odin, he's going to kill me.”

The solution, once spoken, set permanently in Jack's mind. It made perfect sense, and he became obsessed with the idea in a matter of hours. All the weeks he spent learning and making saddles for other people and dragons acted to obscure the truth from him. Jack felt an old impatience begin to stir within his bosom. Thus, he began to babble about the idea when Hiccup strolled into workshop at the close of the day.

“I'm going to kill you, Gobber,” Hiccup grumbled when Jack would not shut up or be distracted from the discussion.

“Knew it,” the man quipped and displayed the decency to look embarrassed.

“But it's a great idea,” Jack injected into the nascent argument between mentor and mentee. “Dragons are so much a part of life here... how do you really expect me to live without one?”

“Jack, it's not that simple!”

Jack folded his arms across his chest and narrowed his eyes.

“Oh, should've said something else,” Gobber remarked. “Already been down this road.”

“As difficult as shooting a night fury out of the sky?” Jack dryly inquired. “As hard as opening the pens and letting out zipplebacks and monstrous nightmares for your friends? More dangerous than cornering a hotburple? How did Heather do it on her own if it's not simple?”

Neither Hiccup nor Gobber offered an immediate explanation. They both stared at him. After a several quiet but tense moments, something incredibly human happened to Jack. He got angry and did not fret his powers would spin out of control.

“Why don't you want me to have a dragon?” He demanded of both men.

“It's not that I don't want you to have one...” Hiccup started and paused.

Jack felt his neck heating up. He turned and started to put away his tools. Moment by moment he became increasingly angry about the situation. Jack could not figure out why Hiccup did not support the idea. The brown-haired young man began to slam his tools into place.

“Ho, boy,” the younger of the two Vikings said when he saw the reaction.

“He may not be a ghostie right now, but I'd say things are going to be a bit cold for ye ‘til that one cools down,” Gobber mumbled and then walked back to his part of the workshop.

“Jack,” Hiccup quietly said the name.

“What?” Jack barked out the word.

“It's more dangerous than you...”

Jack spun around. His face flushed red in fury. Hiccup stepped back, but Jack stepped forward until they stood within inches of the Viking. His nostrils flared as he inhaled.

“I've faced dangers you can't imagine,” he growled. “Things that could kill me even as a Guardian!”

“Something did kill you as a Guardian,” Hiccup calmly rejoined as his face sagged and his green eyes seemed to grow darker. “Don't forget I held you while you died. I don't want to go through that again ‘cause... this time... you... won't come back.”

Jack's anger subsided under an enormous wave of instant guilt. The pain in Hiccup's voice lanced through him. He never fully considered what Hiccup endured on the day the spokelsedrake young sapped his life while the Viking desperately raced to save him. The haunted look in the young man's eyes spoke volumes.

“I'm sorry,” Jack softly said, and then laid his forehead on Hiccup's shoulder.

“I'm so tired of death,” Hiccup whispered while his long arms encircled the shorter and sparser frame of the Guardian. “I know what it's like to die without dying, Jack... when I lost you. I couldn't breathe... couldn't think... everything just... ended.”

“Hiccup.”

“And the idea of going out looking for a wild dragon...”

Jack heard real fear in the brave young Viking's voice, except he knew Hiccup did not fear dragons.

“Scares you for me, I get that,” Jack said when Hiccup did not finish his statement. “But you can't keep me under lock and key, Hiccup. That's not living. That's not why Father Moon granted me this life. Don't forget: I face the same prospects with you every time you go out to defend Berk.”

Jack felt Hiccup's arms become rigid. It told him he made a serious point. Although not his full intention, the Guardian felt smug he managed to get through to his mate in such a manner. Time and again Hiccup's agile mind made any debate very difficult for Jack. Thus, he took a second to relish in the small victory. 

“What answer do you think you can find in a dragon?” Hiccup slowly queried.

Jack lifted his head and stared into the freckled face framed by russet hair. The green eyes gleamed with an intense, native intelligence Jack found so attractive it nearly robbed him of his senses. An unrelated small smile played on his lips. Hiccups cheeks turned a bit ruddy, and he also grinned.

The notion floated across Jack's mind and came out of his mouth before he could stop it: “I need to fly again here on Halla.” 

On Earth Jack Frost looked down at the small Chilean village and selected another home to visit. His one statement won the day those months ago. Hiccup could not argue against the fact Jack became a creature of flight when The Man in the Moon granted his abilities. Whenever Jack returned to Earth, he did so while flying over the town of Burgess. From the very beginning it seemed flight got built into his being. Of all his powers, it remained his favorite.

“But I can do other things,” he whispered and looked up the moon that did not seem quite as full as it did on the day he arrived. “Better make good use of my time.”

For a scant moment it seemed to him the moon shone brighter as if answering his statement. Jack sailed down to the next house while holding tightly to the memory of meeting The Man in the Moon in something close to a human form and having talked with him at length. The other Guardians, especially Bunny, expressed open envy at that part of his tale. Of course, they did not espouse the same jealousy over the events that led to the extraordinary meeting. The Spirit of Fun smiled while stepping through a wall.

A young girl dressed in slightly tattered but brightly colored nightgown sat on the edge of tiny wooden trellis covered in a rough mattress and blankets. Her feet, wearing a generic style of trainers common in South America, dangled over the floor. Her long, dark hair sat tied in the back, and her small, round face looked down at a doll that saw much better days. The wrongness of the situation stung Jack's heart. He stepped back out of the wall and moved over in front of the tiny window. Using a trick he learned on Halla, Jack allowed one finger to become solid without becoming visible. He gently tapped on the window. He waited, and then tapped again.

The small face with inquisitive eyes peered over the lower casement. With her attention secured, Jack went to work. His frost power flowed without effort through his form, up his arm, and to his finger. The cold he generated, a unique endothermic reaction that occurred because he absorbed the local ambient energy, allowed him to direct the formation of ice crystals. He could even control the size. Once he started, a sense of indescribable joy suffused his body. He began to paint with ice. Jack saw the girl's eyes widen in wonder as he formed intricate spirals and swirls that branched out in seeming leafy fronds. Within two short minutes he painted the entire surface of the window. The girl laughed and clapped her tiny hands. Jack then heard her feet thud on the floor and head toward another section of the room. He followed and, as Thursar H'rim would say, performed as his geas dictated.

A short while later after painting two more windows, Jack left the small girl. In her interesting dialect based in Spanish but peppered with native Incan words, she thanked him although not directly. She called it a miracle. Jack knew his actions to be far from miraculous, but he did grant those who did not understand his powers would see it as such, and he simply felt happiness and peace at bringing the child a moment of inexplicable fun.

“This is the best part about being a Guardian,” he whispered at the moon.

Despite the number of tasks he wanted to attend that night, Jack spent several hours in pursuit of his principle responsibility. He darted from house to house entertaining children and encouraging them to enjoy themselves regardless of their circumstances. Laughter began to echo from sparsely furnished rooms. When parents intervened to see why their children giggled as they did, Jack employed his powers in a subtle way so that adults, too, could experience a moment of fun. The inner child, the elemental young man learned long ago, needed just as much attention as the outer one. Thus, he left the village a happier place than when he arrived. It bolstered him to go in search of foe that the Guardians needed to counter.

“If I were Creak, where would I start? Where would I hide?” He asked the peaks of the Andes below him. He did not feel the cold or the lack of air compression at the altitude he attained. It gave him a clear view of the world around him.

Far off in the distance, Jack saw a golden sparkle. It sparkled again. Then again and repeatedly like fireflies in a meadow. He grinned as comprehension took hold and proceeded to fly toward it. At that height and because of the mountains, distances became deceiving. Jack flew much longer than he anticipated before arriving where another Guardian performed. The Spirit of Fun watched the Spirit of Dreams for a while. Awe of the Sandman overcame him. While he never wanted to face the real wrath of any of the Guardians, he became keenly aware that among them Sanderson Mansnoozie stood as the most powerful. Few might ever realize it, but Sandy commanded incredible might that stretched the limits of the imagination. When it seemed the Guardian neared the end of his run in that Bolivian town, Jack felt it safe to approach.

“Ho! Sandy! What news?” He called when he neared.

The small, squat man dressed in a dark golden onesie that glinted with light looked up as dream sand swirled around him in a cloud-like formation. A large smile lit his face and he sailed upward to meet Jack. The two Guardians approached: one bathed in golden light and the other sparkling like silver as frost power coruscated over him. Mortal eyes could not see them, but the combined effect radiated outward. It never dawned on Jack his powers increased whenever he met with his fellow Guardians. The same held true for all of them. At the moment, he just enjoyed the ample and wide smile of his friend.

“Putting adults to bed, huh?” Jack said in a friendly and teasing manner.

The Sandman bobbed his head, and above it a small show made of flowing golden sand showed blankets being pulled over a human form. Then a sprinkling of sand wafted over the head and the marionette-like figure drifted into slumber. Jack chuckled at the display. Then he saw an image of himself hovering in the air drawing ferns with his finger.

“Just working my way through Chile,” he told his friend. Jack then crossed his legs, floating in mid-air, and laid his staff over his lap. “You haven't seen any sign of... it... have you?”

Sandy frowned, and two spots appeared over his head. The golden hue gleamed red. Jack nodded. Sandy shook his head.

“How do we even begin to track something like that?”

The shorter man shrugged. After few moments, an exclamation point appeared in the air about his yellow, spiky hair. Jack perked up.

“Got an idea?” He needlessly inquired but felt a real conversation needed words on one of their parts.

Sand began to swirl over the Spirit of Dreams. Jack came to understand the action to indicate Sandy collecting his thoughts and figuring out how best to express them in his wordless manner. Then a tableau formed, and on it a series of houses. Jack nodded his understanding. From there, a series of bright points of light colored blue, gold, green, red, and white appeared. The sparks of light shone over the houses. The Spirit of Fun watched in wonder. Then, the flickers of light began to disappear, and it seemed a shadow moved over the display in magic sand.

“Pitch Black?” Jack queried.

Sandy shook his head from side to side. The show repeated itself. This time, Jack studied it. The darkness did not arrive like a creeping, living blanket: the hallmark of the Nightmare King. Rather, the spots of light dimmed and went out. The area grew dark because the shining pinpricks got extinguished one at a time in rapid succession. While the picture played a third time with a different formation of houses that looked like underdeveloped row houses, the entire impression formed an idea.

“It's Creak, isn't it? He's snuffing out our efforts!”

The Sandman vigorously nodded.

“Brilliant, Sandy! All we need to do is look for places where our work is being eradicated piece by piece,” Jack said, almost a question, as the idea came together.

A display of sand fireworks went off over the Sandman's head, and his hair took on a not-too-subtle imitation of Jack's. The frost Guardian snickered.

“I wonder if that's where Pitch got his method of operation?”

Sandy shook his head again. Now the gleaming sands formed a picture of a child sleeping in a bed. The serene face gradually changed to one fear. Jack recognized it as the onset of a nightmare. He bobbed his head in understanding. The scene reverted back to the starting point of the soundly sleeping child. The image receded to show the entire bed. Multi-colored sparkles hung over the small head. Against one of the short bedposts a claw appeared. How Sandy managed to make the scratching sound stumped Jack, but he saw the sand image of the child rouse and then sit up. Next a thumping sound emerged, and the puppet made of glowing particles looked around. Fright began to suffuse the face. The gleaming dots of blue, green, red, and white over child faded one-by-one until the scene dimmed. Finally, two spots of hot orange sprang to life. The child soundlessly screamed.

Jack shivered and said: “Creak needs the people to be awake so their fear is real. I get that now.”

The Sandman looked as concerned as Jack felt.

“I still don't know how we're going to fight him. We can't be everywhere at once, and Nick and Bunny only come out once a year in full power.”

Sandy crossed his arms, raised one hand, and tapped his temple with an outstretched finger.

“Yeah, I've been thinking about it ever since I got back,” Jack replied in frustration.

His friend smirked at him.

“Okay, so it's like I never left for you, but I really was gone for a whole month... at least in my head.”

A beautifully sculpted Chinese dragon appeared next to the Sandman.

“No, not like that,” Jack laughed. “I've never seen a dragon look like one of those!”

Sandy soundlessly laughed.

“We sure could use one,” he said to his chortling friend. “Remember what I said about dragons being able to see me? I bet they could see Creak... at least Toothless could.”

A question mark hovered in the air between them when the sand coalesced.

“It's because he can retract his teeth. I think his... fire breath might destroy his teeth, so Toothless gets them out of the way. Don't forget those retractable teeth bit off one of Hiccup's legs. They're still pretty formidable.”

A square sheet of thin sand appeared before Jack. A blank face appeared in it, followed quickly by a pattern that looked remarkably like Jack's ice ferns. He took a few seconds to think it over, and the glanced at the small man.

“You think it might work?”

The Sandman shrugged as if to indicate it would not hurt to try.

“Who? Hiccup or Toothless?” Jack asked.

The human head appeared and then the sand smoothed out. Jack nodded. Although not nearly the talented a sketch artist as his beloved Viking, Jack attained a wide set of skills after years of painting with ice. He thought about Hiccup. Something warm began to rise in his chest. He could picture every detail of the young Viking man. Slowly he raised a hand to the sheet of sand. He began to move his finger. A shining line of white appeared on the golden surface. Jack then set himself to work as seriously as if he were entertaining children. He started with the wild thatch of red hair. That allowed him to figure out the dimensions of the face. The wide forehead tapered to a pointed chin, and then Jack set in the thin lips. The rounded nose, not quite a button, but upturned and cute, came next. He then set to work crafting eyes. Jack wished he could capture the verdant color of the eyes. Lastly, he dotted the face where the freckles lay. Through it all, Jack's sense of longing increased.

“There, not perfect, but pretty close,” he announced and sat black. A passable likeness of Hiccup in glowing white lines sat in the sand.

Sandy darted around him to look. A few seconds later, the small but powerful hand landed on his shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. Jack then got to witness something few, and perhaps none of the other Guardians, witnessed. The square of golden sand shrank, but the outline of the face remained. When it achieved the size of a postage stamp without losing clarity or detail, the square floated toward the Sandman's head. When it got to the center, it touched the sallow skin of Sandy, and then sank into the flesh only to disappear. Jack gaped at the action. Sandy smiled at him.

“What was that?” He begged.

Above Sandy's head a three-dimensional representation of the drawing Jack made appeared. Jack winced at the mistakes he made in the drawing, but he would always recognize it as Hiccup. Understanding dawned in Jack's mind.

“You made a memory.”

Sandy waggled his head back and forth. Jack assumed his guess to be partially right. He grinned at the incredibly clever little man.

“You know I'm going to need that as a dream one day decades from now?” The Spirit of Fun quietly informed the Spirit of Dreams.

The Sandman raised his eyebrows and nodded.

“Oh,” Jack replied, suffused with gratitude and surprise at the forward thinking of the Sandman. “Thank you, Sandy.”

A small hand reached out and patted him on the head. Jack felt pleasant visions swirl in his mind. When Sandy removed his hand, the pleasant sensations remained. It served as a subtle reminder of the Sandman's awesome power.

“Okay, we've got part of an idea, and at least that's better than nothing,” Jack said while the feeling lingered and it gave him sense of hope. “We know what to look for, and now I just have to see if I can find him in action.”

Sandy nodded and looked around.

“I know: you've got work to do, but keep your eyes open. Okay?”

The Sandman smiled and rolled his eyes at the pun. Jack snickered, and then unfolded his legs. With Sandy working his way through South America, he decided his powers could serve better where the sun warmed the face of the earth. The only problem came in finding a place cold enough for him to work. Jack took his staff in hand and twirled it in a circle like a baton. Sandy drifted backward on his cloud of golden sand.

“I'll let the others know what we talked about. I'll stop in and see Bunny. You know how excited he gets when I drop in!” Jack stated with mock pride.

The little man soundlessly laughed and then careened downward to the houses. Jack watched the departure and marveled at the dream sand. He stared at the crook of staff and saw the moonlight glisten on the rime covering it.

“Silver and gold,” he happily mumbled. “Like that holiday song!”

Jack laughed at his own joke, and then peeled away toward the west at a fantastic pace.


	3. Chapter 3

It took two seemingly terror-filled days to reach a place where Hiccup felt moderately safe. The world in which he and Toothless found themselves never took dragons into consideration. However, the people of Earth were no strangers to flight, as he discovered in ample proportion. What Hiccup first assumed to be some sort of horrible dragon turned out to be one of the machines that propelled people through the air. One kind, the smaller of the craft, growled like grumple and tended to fly at the same height Toothless normally found comfortable. The second kind, and it hissed and whined like an enraged whispering death, flew higher than all but a few of dragons on Berk. Then they confronted another type of machine that could hover and zip around with speed and agility of a terrible terror. Hence, the skies of Earth proved more dangerous than the ones on Berk.

As a result, Hiccup and Toothless occupied strata above the smaller craft but below the larger ones. The thinner air meant it sapped the dragon's strength much quicker than normal. The only benefit came in the lowered air resistance. However, navigating the unfamiliar air currents and streams played havoc on Hiccup's mental prowess. In the end, the two travel neither as far or as fast as both would prefer. Yet it did afford them a chance to really see the world from which the Guardian originated.

“No wonder he couldn't really explain it,” Hiccup said while leaning against Toothless who still felt wet.

The found a lake with the southeastern end covered in bogs and trees. Hiccup honed his skill in predicting sunrise and always aimed for a wooded area before the dragon would become noticeable in the sky. Given the level of land development, and the human habitations stretched for mile after mile after mile, it became a challenge from the moment they set out. Many more people lived on this one section of Earth than probably lived in the whole of the Hallan northern archipelago. It staggered the dragon rider's mind.

“Get enough to eat?” He asked his faithful companion.

Toothless lay with his head on a small pile of large fish he pulled from the deep, cold lake. At the very least Hiccup's mind found ease in the fact he could keep the dragon fed on the dangerous journey. He privately wondered how long their luck would last before someone finally spotted them. While Toothless ate and relaxed before they settled in to sleep through the daylight hours, Hiccup let his mind wander to times when Jack spoke about his home planet.

“I guess I got used to it,” Jack said after returning from his first monthly transition to Earth and in answer to Hiccup's question. “It's not like it happened over night.”

“I can't even picture what any of that would look like,” Hiccup confessed, snuggling his head closer to Jack's.

The Guardian chuckled and said: “I can still remember the first time I took a trip through a jet engine turbine...”

“A what?”

“It's a... sort of like... a cone... with air and heat and pressure... helps things to fly on Earth,” Jack stumbled through a less than coherent answer. “You'd probably need to see one to really understand it.”

“I guess,” Hiccup said.

It routinely came down to that answer. Things on Jack's world defied simple explanation, even to one who possessed a mechanically-inclined mind. At times Hiccup worried Jack might find Berk boring, but the elemental man never stated such. Of course, Berk boasted dragons that sadly seemed non-existent on Earth.

“You wouldn't believe how loud it is. I knew it couldn't kill me, but left me with a headache for the rest of the day. I won't be doing that again any time real soon.”

Hiccup flipped over so he faced the dark-haired young man and propped himself on his elbows. He studied the brown eyes. The Viking would never suspect something extraordinary lay behind those eyes if he did not already know. Jack appeared as human as the next person.

“You're cute,” he said to the Guardian.

“And you're a dork,” Jack replied while his cheeks turned red.

“A dork?”

Jack's face deepened to a maroon color.

“I, ah, take it that isn't exactly a compliment?” Hiccup teasingly inquired as he ran a hand through Jack's thick auburn hair. In elemental form, his white hair tended to be much finer. The Viking loved the feel of both.

“Um, it is from me. Honest!” The Guardian-in-hiding declared.

Hiccup leaned his head down and kissed the pert mouth. A strong, thin arm quickly encircled his neck. They maintained the embrace, one of many since waking up, until Hiccup thought of a new question. He pulled back and gazed at his mate.

“Now what?” Jack whispered.

“So we're alike, physically that is?”

“You've seen me without clothes.”

“No, I mean our people: Berkians and Earth... ians,” Hiccup clarified.

“Earthlings is what we call ourselves,” Jack correct and grinned. “And, yes, I think we're the same species... somehow. I'm starting to wonder if this isn't Earth in a multiverse sort of way.”

“Multiverse?” The Viking repeated the strange word.

“It's a theory my people have about how different dimensions co-exist on a quantum level...”

“Stop!”

Jack stopped speaking.

“Every time you start in on that whole quantum... stuff, it makes my brain hurt. Where do you get all this information?”

“I read a lot... and watch television in peoples' houses when I can,” Jack told him. “I can't be a Guardian twenty-four hours... and do you know your day is about two hours longer? That means your planet is bigger than mine... or rotates slower.”

Hiccup simply blinked. He could not imagine what he would do with that bit of knowledge, but then a contradiction came up in his mind, so he said: “But how can our planets be the same in this... multi... whatever if this one is bigger? Shouldn't they be the same size at the very least?”

“Good point.”

Time and again Hiccup confronted the fact Jack tended to be a lot smarter than he revealed. Then again, after three hundred years of living, the Guardian should be smart even if he only picked up stray pieces of information here and there. Knowledge would naturally accumulate over time. However, Jack seemed too inquisitive to just rely on passive learning. 

“There are a lot of differences between the two places,” Jack conceded after a few seconds of thought. “Even your moon looks different. There's no face in it.”

“And no one living there, either,” Hiccup amended.

Jack's arm slid from around his neck, and then the rather long hand came to rest on his cheek. Hiccup instantly noticed it felt warm instead of cool. A serious expression crossed his companion's face.

“What's the matter?” The young Viking man queried.

“Nothing, it's just... did you... is... this what you imagined you end up with? I mean me... a Guardian?” Jack countered.

“A year ago I couldn't even imagine you at all, and I've seen some pretty wild stuff,” Hiccup replied and then became equally as serious. “See, the whole thing with Drago and my dad's death... and I became chief. I didn't think anything could top that, but then you... out of nowhere... a complete surprise!”

“Good or bad?”

“I didn't know which at first. I'll be honest: you kind of scared me when you showed up, but then I saw the way the children acted and seemed happy when you were around. Then... the more you stayed and started talking to me, it, um, made me happy to. You're so different from... everything, Jack.”

“But I'm mostly human now most of the time,” the very real looking young man told him.

“Which is another thing,” Hiccup rejoined in an exasperated tone. “You're not really living a normal existence if you're off being the Ghost of Fun...”

“You've got to quit listening to Gobber about me. Did you hear him the other day trying to convince me I might be nothing more than a figment of everyone's collective imagination?”

“No! He did not?”

“He didn't mean anything by it,” Jack grudgingly confessed. “He's just trying to make sense of it all, like you are. Fishlegs still won't stay in a room alone with me.”

Hiccup frowned.

“Hiccup?”

“See? That's the point I'm trying to make. It wouldn't be so hard if you didn't spend half your time as a Guardian. That's why Gobber thinks you're a ghost pretending to be human, and only Freya knows what Fishlegs thinks. My mom's the only one who seems okay with the situation,” the Viking grumbled.

Hiccup reached down and pulled the blanket up his now fully exposed backside. The last thing he wanted was his mother coming up the stairs and seeing him in that manner. Once it became certain Jack would take up residence in the house, Valka grew more courteous. The woman would announce her presence at the bottom of the stairs and never ascend without their permission. Regardless, Hiccup did not want his mother to see his naked buttocks.

“I just wish I could keep you around all the time,” Hiccup concluded once he felt adequately covered.

“All the time?” Jack teased.

“Come on, you know what I mean. How do those... cloud people expect you to live a normal, decent life if you're flying around Halla all the time looking after the children?”

“Thursar H'rim...”

Both Hiccup and Jack glanced at the ceiling when the name got said. They heard nothing.

“...and Noro are not cloud people, and you know what Aita is,” the Guardian finished his statement.

“For the love of the gods, please don't say that name!” Hiccup begged.

“Yeah, kind of hard to forget, isn't it?”

The lean Viking shuddered at the memory.

“Was is it that bad?” Jack questioned.

“I thought I finally went insane, Jack. After you died... then he showed up while I was trying to sleep. Honestly, I thought I cracked my egg shell once and for all. That light...”

“Father Moon.”

“So bright,” Hiccup whispered. “Can you blame me for be a little freaked out by the whole thing?”

“No, not really. It freaks me out a little, too. You know that's the first time I ever saw The Man in the Moon like that.”

The Viking's mouth opened in shock, but no words came out. Jack smiled as though he understood what went through Hiccup's mind. Hiccup slowly grinned in response.

“I wouldn't mind being human all the time... mostly,” Jack said, returning to an earlier topic.

“Mostly?” His mate questioned.

“If I was human on a permanent basis, I... flying. I wouldn't be able to fly,” explained the Guardian as he voice drop in pitch and volume.

“There's always Toothless,” Hiccup rejoined in the hope it would mollify.

“He's yours, Hiccup. I wouldn't want to come between you and Toothless.”

Back on Earth, the young Viking man reached out and caressed the solid flank of the night fury. When he thought back to the various conversations over the past five months, he found the arguments for Jack needing and wanting a dragon far outweighed Hiccup's fears and worries. Almost from the first time he met the elemental young man, it became obvious Jack gloried in his ability to fly. In that respect, the two young men shared the same passion. Hiccup twisted his head and watched the Toothless feast.

“He's not the only one,” he murmured. “Maybe I should've talked to Snotlout more.”

Although eight months passed, his friend never recovered from the death of Hookfang. Moreover, no one could convince Snotlout to take on a new one as Astrid did when her dragon died during the same horrible event. An old anger resurfaced in Hiccup. He still could not accept Berkians, the people on Halla who learned to live with and love dragons, could murder two of them. No other word sufficed: Hiccup would always consider what his clansmen did to three dragons as murder. The creatures were more family than anything else. Hiccup clamped down on the feelings and memories. He knew he needed a clear head.

“There's still time,” Hiccup said in answer to his own thinking.

The Viking watched the night fury for a few more minutes. Toothless rumbled happily to himself as he chewed on the fish. Apparently the dragon liked what he ate. He would have to remember to tell Jack dragons found the fare on Earth palatable. Hiccup glanced up.

“Dawn's coming, buddy. Better slurp the rest of those fish down so we can find a place to hide and sleep,” he reminded his winged companion.

Toothless did not increase his pace. Hiccup smirked at the dragon's resolute manner. While he and Toothless often shared the same thinking, he never forgot the beast maintained an independent mind. The few occasions when Hiccup failed to take heed, he paid a price for ignoring the innately intuitive nature of his best winged friend. He looked to the sky again and saw the black of night giving way to the gray of dawn. He remembered they flew upward to reach the spot, so it appeared they were in a mountain range of sorts. Their original plan to fly northward resulted in their being exposed to vast tracts of habitation, and fear of discovery forced the two to travel in a northwestern direction. Over the two days of their trek, the land rose upward and Toothless flew at higher altitudes to remain hidden in the night. It slowed their progress and strained the robust dragon. Thus, a very hungry dragon landed at the edge of the lake.

“Wish I had a map,” Hiccup complained to himself for the hundredth time. He looked at this feasting friend and said: “Do you have any idea where we're going ‘cause I'm just making guesses.”

It surprised him when Toothless glanced over with a half-gnawed fish clenched in his teeth. People sometimes assumed the dragon understood human speech, and it did appear that way. However, Hiccup came to realize the night fury used a combination of vocal and visual cues given by humans. Of course, Toothless also seemed to know what names were connected with which people. Thus, the very intelligent creature made it look as though he did understand what got said to him. At the moment, Toothless simply gazed at Hiccup.

“You, neither, huh, bud?” The human rhetorically inquired and patted the side of the dragon. “If we're in mountains, and it sure looks like it, I wonder how far they extend. We need to go north if we're going to find the place where Santa lives.”

Toothless grunted once, and crunched the fish in his maw. The large, yellow-green eyes remained focused on his companion. The Viking reclined against the beefy hindquarter of the dragon.

“There's a lot more land here than water, and I wasn't expecting that. Jack says there're oceans here, but where?” Hiccup continued to think aloud. “Not that it'd do us much good, but I'd rather fly over water than all of the houses. And these things in the air... what did he call them?”

While Hiccup got lost in thought, Toothless resumed eating. For the prior three days Hiccup damned himself for failing to pay close attention to what Jack said about his home world. Each time he berated himself, he reminded himself he never expected to be on Earth. That thinking invariably led him to consider what the Hallan Isemaler did to cause him to transform with Jack. He gave up blaming Isemaler for the current predicament, but the cause and effect relationship needed to be understood in order to avoid it happening again. Thus, Hiccup spent his last remaining period awake chasing down another blind mental alley. When it did come time to sleep, the young Viking man felt extremely frustrated, not the least of which came about because his broken arm made it difficult to find a comfortable position.

On the southern side of the Seward Peninsula in a town called Nome in the state of Alaska, Jack Frost normally felt at home. He currently did not since he spent most of the Alaskan spring night doing battle with a creature called a tupilaq. These beings got created by Eskimos – regardless if Inuit, Kwakiutl, Tlingit, or any of the other native tribes – to seek vengeance. The problem with tupilaqs came when the initial reason for creation ended, but the creator failed to dispel the being. Thus, more than a few tupilaqs with lives spanning as much as three thousand years crept though northern expanses of Alaska. During the Arctic night, the tupilaqs ranged freely and fiercely across land causing havoc wherever they roamed. They tended to focus on children since children knew better than to think of them as imaginary or myths. On this particular occasion, Jack knew he faced an ancient tupilaq.

It growled at him from underneath a bed. The child above wisely lay covered and hid under a blanket. Tupilaqs, because of the nature of their creation, tended to lack full intelligence. They could not distinguish between a pillow and covered child. Jack tried to use his crook to snag the creature and haul into the open. A clawed hand could be seen batting at the staff trying to grab a hold.

“You know you're not going to win, so you might as well flee now,” Jack tried to reason with it.

“Gah!” The tupilaq gurgled at him with a fair amount of menace. “Mine!”

“Not yours. Children don't belong to you!”

Jack considered the unwise notion of crawling under the bed to fight the monster made of anger, hate, and vitriol. Few adults remembered that under the bed could be found a world of immense power. Thus, many nighttime terrors tended to come from there since it served both as a portal and a power source. The wise Guardian knew better than to try and fight a being like a tupilaq in that environment. After a few seconds, Jack dismissed the idea.

“Hey, you, do you have a flashlight?” He asked the quivering body under the blanket.

He got no answer.

“Seriously,” Jack grunted the word while playing a dangerous game of tug-o-war with the tupilaq over his crook. “It would really, really help right now.”

A small face with round, terrified dark eyes peaked at him from a small opening between the covering and the mattress. Jack tried to smile, having become visible to enlist the aid of the child, as he propped one foot against the bed frame. The tupilaq managed to get a good grip on his staff. Jack feared unleashing too much frost power so close to a mortal and only tried to freeze the exterior of his staff. As a creature of the north, the tupilaq seemed to be immune to such a simple cold trick. He struggled to maintain his grasp and look pleasant at the same time.

“Jack... Frost at... your service,” he heaved out the words in time with his yanking. “Smart move... going under the... blanket. Tup... ilaqs... kind of dumb.”

The small head nodded.

Jack pulled as hard as he could. When the tupilaq's claw became exposed, it growled and let go. Jack fell backwards onto the floor. He looked under the bed. A vaguely human face with too many teeth in a misshapen mouth glared at him. Eyes of two different colors and two different sizes, and Jack suspected from two different species, watched him with a single-minded focus. Jack struggled to remember what he read about the beings. An idea grew in his head. Now he wanted the beast to really pay attention.

“You know they're as ugly as they are stupid,” he casually said to the child. “It's usually because their creator didn't care enough about them... which is why they're all alone in the world with no one who loves them.”

“Lies!” The tupilaq snarled.

Jack stood as though unhurried and glanced down at the one eye peeking out from under the blanket. He smiled again. The plan solidified in his mind. He would use the monster's reason for being to draw it out of the house.

“All it is hate, you know?” He continued. “When you start to grow up, you'll figure out how unimportant tupilaqs really are. They don't have any meaning ‘cause they don't mean anything to anyone. They just are without any reason for being.”

“Snah!”

The child pulled the blanket down over his or her head. He surveyed the room and decided it belonged to a little boy. Since the child wisely hid, he turned his attention back to the malevolent being.

“How often do you go around trying to remember why you exist? You're angry because you know you don't have any purpose. Your creator didn't even care enough about you to destroy you when you finished whatever job it was you were meant to do.”

“Ate creator,” the tupilaq said, and it sounded oddly gleeful in a horrible way.

“And still you don't have any reason to live. Poor, poor you,” Jack teased the monster. “A creature of vengeance reduced to scaring children. How truly pathetic.”

The tupilaq let out with a long, low, guttural howl. Its claws shot out from under the bed, snatching at Jack's ankles. Jack stepped back just out of reach. He poked at the one arm with a hand with his staff. Another hiss issued forth.

“You might as well chase seals or moose for all the good it'll do you. You're not even a very good tupilaq.”

That did it. The creature roared at him and crawled out from under the bed. Jack got its complete attention. The misshapen monster, made from pieces of other animals and clearly parts of humans, rose rumbling and stinking from under the bed. It stood, but a foot shorter than Jack. Despite the awkwardness of the appearance, he knew better than to underestimate the being. He could feel the dark and potent power that gave the tupilaq life. The time came for the final gambit.

“You're creator really didn't like you. Sheesh, look at how short you are, and you don't even have matching arms. What is that, a hoof?” Jack taunted the tupilaq with ample sarcasm.

“I... eat... you!” The tupilaq shrieked at him.

With that Jack turned invisible to mortal eyes, went immaterial, and rocketed upward. He felt rather and saw the monster leap after him. Jack landed on the roof. The grotesque form shot out of the windows on the side of house like a Hollywood nightmare. It crawled up to the roof. Jack laughed at it with a mocking voice. He twirled his staff one and aimed the crook right at the chest of the beast. A blast of frost power that made the air crackle lanced outward and hit the tupilaq. It yowled as it flew backward with tremendous speed form the force of the strike. Jack flew after it. He peppered with tupilaq with volley after volley of ice balls formed from the humidity in the air. The monster screamed at him, but did not attack.

“Now we're on even footing,” he warned the tupilaq. “Still want to come after me?”

They stood on the ground some forty feet away from the house. The Guardian did not want the tupilaq to go back to it. In fact, Jack wanted the monster to entirely vacate the area. Part of his immortal mind knew he should kill the creature, but killing always made him squeamish, even with something as abhorrent as the tupilaq. It could not help how it got created or why, but it could make the choice to stay away from human habitations. Those that proved a threat to people over a period of time often got extinguished. Jack forced himself to remember these beings did not comprise life, but rather formed a pale imitation according to another person's twisted idea. In the span of time it took to think those few thoughts, the tupilaq dropped to all fours and began to scurry to one side.

“Still haven't figure it out yet, huh?” He sighed at the monster. “I can't let you do this to children.”

“Guardian die,” the thing grumbled at him.

“Did that twice already, and I don't think a third time would be a charm.”

The thing stared at him, and it dawned on Jack the creature knew about the Guardians.

“Yeah, died to become a Guardian, and then died as a Guardian doing my job,” he said to the silent being. “Happened in another dimension on a different... look, it's a long story and I don't feel like explaining it to you.”

The tupilaq hissed again.

“Here's the deal: you can go where no humans live and torment the bears, or... or I can dispatch you. Your choice.”

The tupilaq paused. Jack suspected the simple, unaffected manner of his delivery caught the creature off guard. With his staff clutched firmly in his left hand, the Spirit of Fun began to call upon the vast powers at his disposal. The wood of his crook, one that still did not feel entirely right to him, began to gleam in the Alaskan night as ice crystals formed along the length and wisps of frozen air streamed outward and began to sag like moss from a willow tree. The monster appeared to sense Jack drawing energies into himself. It growled, hissed, and spit, but it stopped moving altogether.

“Leave. Got to the mountains. Got to the forests. Go wherever people do not exist and don't come back,” Jack explained and warned as the air around him grew progressively colder and dropped far below the freezing point. “I won't tell you again.”

The moment could go either way, he knew, and he waited. Seconds later, the tupilaq appeared to hunch. Jack saw such actions in the past and easily guessed what would come next. The muscles in the mismatched arms and legs squirmed under mottled skin. The entire creature appeared to tense.

“Die Guardian,” the tupilaq screamed at him.

Just as the monster began to launch, Jack lifted the end of his staff and unleashed the waiting energy. The air around both of them groaned under the weight of the frost power he sent forward. It caught the tupilaq midair, enveloped the repugnant form, and froze it solid. It fell downward with very little forward momentum. Five feet from where Jack stood the inert body hit the ground and cracked into half a dozen pieces. Gray ooze immediately began to seep from the portions deep in the center of the being. The stench of decay that wafted upward nearly overwhelmed Jack, and he covered his face and tried not to vomit in his hands. He trotted backward until he found cleaner air.

“Why do they make these things?” He sadly begged the question, but he already knew the answer.

Jack Frost, victorious but not jubilant, floated into the air and slowly sailed toward the house where the encounter started. The next part of his job would act as a balm for his slightly bruised conscience. While the tupilaq undoubtedly became increasingly wicked over the span of its existence, Jack still could not fully fault the creature. It came into being through the will of a human, assembled from the dead parts of other creatures, and meant to harm to another. The tupilaq could not help what it was or what it further became. Jack looked up in the sky at the less than full moon.

“Is that the burden of all creators? Do you bear responsibility for what I do?” He asked the shining orb in the sky.

Although he could feel the intelligence, Jack did not receive any form of response. He reached the house and sailed silently through the wall into the bedroom of the little boy. The child remained hidden under the blanket. Jack made lots of solid noise when he let himself settle on the floor and become material. He walked toward the bed.

“It's gone. It won't ever come back,” Jack told the frightened boy.

“For r-real?” The tiny voice quavered in the asking.

“For real. I took care of it, and I promise you that one will never, ever return.”

A small, pudgy hand appeared from under the edge of the blanket and pulled the covers slightly to one side. Small brown eyes stared at him. Jack smiled as warmly as he could. The eyes studying him darted around. The Guardian waited and guessed the boy to be no more than five-years old.

“Gone?”

“Yep, gone, like I said.”

“Jack?” The child inquired.

“That's me: Jack Frost,” Jack gamely announced his name.

The child visibly relaxed. As often happened when confronted with the newfound belief of a child, Jack felt his fingers and toes tingle. The power of belief seeped into his being. He did not feed on it as other beings did, but it sustained him nonetheless. His smile grew. He walked over and sat on the edge of the bed. It gave a reassuring squeak when he did. The boy sat up and stared at him in awe. Jack raised a hand, closed it into a fist save for his index finger, and small snowflakes began to shoot out of the tip. The boy giggled.

“Even though summer is coming, I'll be around,” he told the child, “and I have friends who also help. We'll do our best to keep you safe.”

“Who?” The boy queried.

“The Sandman for starters. He's one of my best friends, just like the Tooth Fairy.”

“Wow!”

The edges of Jack's skin and clothing began to sparkle. The boy's eyes grew wider in wonder, and Jack felt the power of belief grow stronger. He aimed his finger so the snowflakes flew farther out and began to land on the boy's head. The child snickered and tried to grab the cold flakes. Jack made them grow larger and they began to stick to the boy's hair. Then, as only he could do, Jack formed a snowball in his hand. He held it out to child.

“Really?” The young mortal asked.

“Uh-huh,” Jack replied to encourage him.

The boy reached out, took it, and squealed: “It's cold!”

“Of course it is: it's snow!” Jack replied with a laugh. “Now, if anything else comes near you tonight, you just throw that at... whatever it is. It'll let ‘em know Jack Frost is on your side.”

“Cool!”

“Very!”

Although the child did not grasp the pun, Jack felt better for using it. Somewhere in Australia he could envision Bunny's ears twitching with agitation. He chuckled to himself. Then he stood since this mission reached completion and the rest of the world waited for him.

“Will you come back?” The boy asked, rising onto his knees, and carefully cupping the now melting snowball in his hands.

“You know what?” Jack replied and started to turn invisible. “You may not see me, but I'll be around. When winter comes, then we'll really have some fun!”

The boy grinned. He then looked astonished when Jack completely disappeared. The small eyes began to search left and right.

“What's your name?” The Guardian inquired.

“Samuel,” the child replied.

Jack let his face grow visible, leaned in closer to the boy, and then asked: “What do they call you when white people like me aren't around?”

Samuel's face lit up and he answered: “Siluk.”

“That's an excellent name.”

The boy nodded, and then gaped when Jack's face disappeared.

“Sleep tight, Siluk who is also called Samuel. You're safe now.”

“Thanks,” Samuel whispered.

Jack soared upward and out of the house. He felt stronger than when he began that night. Power of belief coursed through him like the liquid magic. He also knew other eyes watched the encounter with the tupilaq, and Nome would be quiescent that night. Word that a Guardian stood watch would spread and the darker forces of the world would steer clear for a couple of days. Jack added Nome to his mental list of places he needed to visit periodically. He looked forward to winter in Alaska as he did each year.

The Spirit of Fun sailed high into the air, turned on his back, and then did a reverse swan dive toward the ground and a particular location. He performed a graceful arc with his arms outstretched, his staff held tightly in his left hand, and loudly laughed during the entire dive. The North Pole, Santa's magic castle and principle workshop, twinkled into view. Jack aimed for the oculus in the domed roof of the main keep. The glimmering, golden barrier did not hinder his passage as it would others. Jack circled through enormous central chamber and saw Nick standing in front of the giant globe of the world that turned in real time.

“I see a new, very bright spot in Nome,” the Spirit of Wonder called out before Jack came near. “This is a good night for you, Jack!”

Jack sailed around the world and landed on the floor several yards from Nick, and then casually strolled forward while remarking: “I was in the neighborhood, so I thought I would stop in.”

“Neighborhood,” Santa laughed the word, and his face became more serious. “What did you find in Nome?”

“Tupilaq.”

“Foul things.”

“I think this one was planning on snatching a child,” Jack said, exposing the real reason why he extinguished the creature.

“Under a bed?” Nick inquired.

Jack nodded.

“I think perhaps this is the worst thing Pitch ever taught the others. Bed magic can be very strong,” Nicholas St. North darkly mused.

“Isn't there anyway we can close those portals?” Jack asked.

“Nyet. We've tried. You know this, Jack. Since we did not make it, it is not ours to dispel.”

Jack frowned at what he already understood. He stuck the end of his staff on the floor and leaned against it. The crook seemed as anchored as a street lamp.

“But tonight, my friend – oh! – I could feel it all the way here! We'll have this one until he becomes teenager!”

Although buoyed by Nick's bountiful exuberance, Jack still frowned and mumbled: “Why can't they believe into adulthood?”

The sharp ears of Nick seemed to twitch and he looked directly at Jack. The two stood, one leaned on a stick, and regarded each other for a moment. A sad smile crossed Nick's face.

“You know the answer to this question, Jack. You know what wise Sir Terry said: We make it possible for them to believe in things they cannot see or feel... like truth, liberty, justice... mercy. We must give way to those ideas,” the large man told him.

In many ways Nick reminded him of Gobber, and vice versa. Once not long ago Jack thought Halla might be a multiverse version of Earth and, thus, Gobber might be the multiverse version of Nicholas Saint North. However, too many differences between the two worlds existed and he dismissed the notion. He counted his fortune that on each world he found a person to whom he could turn for advice and counsel when he needed it. As he thought this, Nick's words sank into his mind. Jack eventually nodded his head.

“My friend, think what you have accomplished this night, eh! Who knows what Siluk will go on...”

“Of course you already know about him,” Jack remarked with a wry grin.

“It's my job, Jack, so I must!”

“Is he a good kid?”

“Siluk needed what you gave him tonight. He needed to know he can fight against the darkness and win. This you have always known, even when you were a mortal boy,” Nick told him, hinting at the fact Santa Claus knew about Jackson Frost long before he rose from the lake. “Now he has reason to be good and do good. Siluk now fears less. This is a very wonderful thing you do, Jack. Be proud.”

“Sure, but... did Sandy talk you in the last few days?” The newest of the Guardian rejoined and switched topics.

“The Sandman talk? I've never even heard a whisper from him.”

“Nick!”

Nicholas laughed his full, round laugh. Jack smiled at the joke and realized he stepped right into it. Knowing a child formed a deep, personal belief in the Guardians always put the grizzled warrior into high spirits. The laugh infected Jack and he felt his own spirits lighten.

“Now, young friend, what is it Sandy should be saying to me?” Nick returned to the subject with a bit more seriousness.

“We came up with an idea about how we might be able to follow Creak,” Jack said with enthusiasm.

Nick grew somber at the mention of the name. He nodded as his eyebrows drew closer to one another.

“Actually, Sandy thought of it,” the young Guardian acknowledged and continued. “Creak doesn't have a nightmare army like Pitch Black, and you remember how they ride across the land... like dark blanket.”

“I need no reminding of that!” Nick replied with a mouthful of anger. His arms flexed under the heavy flax shirt he wore. It served to remind that arms and hands capable of making the most intricate and beautiful toys could also wield swords with deadly accuracy.

“But Creak works alone... solo, so we won't see the whole... huge... effect. We need to look for the isolated incidents. We need to see where one child or anybody suddenly grows afraid and our protections fail.”

Nick, or Santa Claus as Jack thought of the man when he wore too much red, stood staring at him, but yet through and past him. The slight figure of the Spirit of Fun, compared to the swarthy, robust form of the Spirit of Wonder, stood waiting for a pronouncement. Sometimes Nick could become lost in his own thinking and required a reminder that others needed his attention. The closer it got to Christmas, the more likely the behavior became. Thus, Jack leaned on his patience as much as his did his staff.

“You have one problem with this,” Nick finally spoke, and his voice sounded booming. “This only shows us where he's been, but not so much where he is going.”

“I thought about that over the last couple of days, and I think maybe Creak might work in a pattern.”

Nick extended one hand and rolled it on his wrist as a sign Jack should proceed.

Jack paused for a moment to collect his though before he said: “Maybe Creak works an area until one of us shows up because somehow we're drawn to it. Maybe Father Moon...”

Nick raised his bushy eyebrows.

“It's how I think of him most of the time. You know that. You've heard me say it often enough,” the seemingly young man explained.

“But now you say it with such conviction,” the larger man stated in an impish manner.

Jack unconsciously leapt upward until he took a crouched position at the top of his crook that remained rock steady. It helped him to look his compatriots in the eye because most either stood much taller or tended to float about the ground. Once settled, he let his face grow into a brief smile.

“Did I tell you what he said to Hiccup when we were in the Between Realm?” Jack asked.

“About how you get to live your one mortal life on Halla, yes.”

“No, what The Man in the Moon said directly to Hiccup?”

Nick shook his head back and forth.

“He said... he thanked Hiccup for watching over his child... me. I know he said it to Noro and Aita...”

A strange expression rippled across Nick's features at the mention of the name. None of the Guardians quite openly showed discomfort at one of their own having to face down death. Somehow Jack's story reminded them a force existed none of the Guardians could defeat.

“Yeah, I know,” Jack quietly noted the look, “but it makes sense he calls me his child since we're from the same dimension. Ever since then that night, I kept thinking about the fact he told Hiccup I was his child when he didn't have to, and calling him Father Moon...”

“But, Jack, you do not have an immortal mother,” Nick interjected.

“I think winter is my mother... at least in this sense.”

“Do you remember your mortal mother?” Santa quietly inquired.

Jack slowly nodded. He did remember, and sometimes it made him sad. When he emerged from the lake as Jack Frost the immortal, it seemed time passed. It took several days before he went to see his family. The sorrow they expressed at losing him still made his heart ache. However, he could not tell them of his new immortal life since he remained invisible to human eyes and mute to human ears for several hundred years. By the time he accrued enough belief in children to lend him a substantial form, only his sister's descendants remained in Burgess. Even the name Frost disappeared from the town's list of surnames some two hundred years before.

“Forgive me. I didn't mean to bring back painful...”

“It's not painful, Nick. Sometimes it makes me sad, but... weren't you the one who said if we learn from our pain, through it, and the strength we gain is immeasurable?” Jack asked and attempted to dismiss his friend's need to apologize.

“Sometimes I forgot you do pay attention, but it seems – what you call – selective?” The man counter-inquired with a grin.

Jack smirked. They shared a moment of silent understanding. The younger of the two knew the man thought of his long-ago departed wife, whom he still loved with great intensity. It served as a warning to what Jack would face in the future when he returned to Earth on a permanent basis. However, he planned on living on Halla in such a way that the memories would not bring sadness and only joy at the remembrance.

“But to the reason for your visit, what is it you and Sandy propose?”

“Can we set up the world globe to look for spots where intense, isolated fear suddenly erupts?

“I'm not sure...” Nick hesitantly stated and paused.

“Didn't you say you could feel Siluk's belief and saw it pop up on the globe?” Jack questioned.

Nick nodded.

“Well, can't we have the globe monitor for fear in the same way?”

“Hmm,” the man hummed. Then he turned his head and yelled: “Yuhloh! Desmond!”

After fifteen seconds two yeti came shuffling in, their large fury feet quiet as whispers on the polished stone floor. They also mumbled while they approached. All yeti mumbled in their strange language Jack did not understand. He thought for a moment about the fact he never recalled seeing yeti young.

When they stood next to Santa, Nick quickly outlined the plan Jack presented. The two yeti then faced one another and carried on a long, incomprehensible conversation. Gradually Nick's eyebrows moved further and further up his forehead while he listened.

“They say this is very possible, but will take some work,” Nick announced without looking away from the two. “It like how we track for Pitch's movements, but on a smaller scale. Nightmares are one thing, but fear is shared by so many...”

“Not the kind fear Creak creates,” Jack interrupted. “It's intense... primal... worse than what the tupilaqs can create. The Nightmare King's power ends when the person wakes, but Creak's only grows. He wants the person to wake up afraid. Plus, it only happens to one person at a time, so wouldn't that...”

“Cause a lone spike in the system, yes,” the man finished for him. He then addressed the two enormous creatures and asked a simple question: “Well?”

The yeti nodded. The muttered again in their odd, muffled speech. Nick's head tilted back and forth while he listened. Jack once more leaned about patience.

“This will take some doing; fine-tuning as they say. Testing, and much testing to make sure this works. They will need our help,” Nick said as the yeti apparently explained it to him. “Each time we read a spike, one of us will need to go the location immediately to see what caused it. This will allow them to eliminate other causes.”

“How long will it take?” Jack asked.

The yeti put their heads together and mumbled at such speed even Nick appeared unable to translate. Following half a minute of intense conversation, the yeti named Desmond turned to both of them.

“Humphra-ump lurf numph,” it said in a definitive tone.

“Desmond apologizes, but he says they will not have the modifications ready until two nights from now, and then we can begin testing. They are working on a new gaming console,” Nick explained for the creature.

No one, including Nicholas Saint North, could explain how the yeti became so proficient at not only building toys, but adapting to technological changes faster than anyone else involved in production in the North Pole. Jack suspected magic at work, but he knew magic interfered with electronics so the idea died as soon as it came to life. The skill of the yeti remained a closely guarded secret, even perhaps from Nick.

“You guys are amazing,” Jack said with complete appreciation and awe.

The yeti ducked their heads as though avoiding the compliment.


	4. Chapter 4

“Hiph nurph aph... Cruph,” the yeti named Clyde said and the other two shuddered at the final word.

Jack noticed an involuntary shudder from himself, Bunny, Nick, Sandy, Toothania, and everyone else in attendance for the test. Baby Tooth pressed herself firmly against his neck, and he could feel the small body trembling. Moreover, the yeti word caused a sensation as if something chill and unwanted brushed up against him. For the first time ever Jack did not need a translation of the word: he knew the yeti singled out Creak by name.

“Clyde says nightmares cause fear differently than... Creak,” Santa directly translated, and everyone took part in a second shudder.

“Limphur murpha pha-pha nurph suph.”

“Nightmares are like boiling water, but his fear is like watching a match strike: it quickly flares.”

Everyone knew the yeti took fire very seriously, so it formed an impression whenever they used the allegory. Given the volume of fur covering their bodies, it made sense. The gathering seemed to appreciate the distinction.

Clyde then spoke at length for a yeti. Nicholas Saint North paid close attention and nodded his head on occasion. His eyebrows slowly raised as he listened.

“The world mood sensor now looks for singular instances of intense fear that... unphorph?” Nick began and then asked his own question in yeti-speak.

“Hunphmuph orph... unphorph,” the yeti replied.

“Oh, this does mean persistent,” Nick said, but everybody knew the comment centered on an internal question. He returned his attention to the gathering. “So the system will now make this sound...”

A terrible squeak issued from the globe like that of a long ignored door with hinges rusted over and being forced open. The assembled winced. It rang in the ears in such a way it felt like a horrible case of tinnitus.

“Could you maybe make that a little softer?”

“Phi,” Clyde sounded agreeable to Nick's request.

“What do we do when it makes that sound?” Bunny asked.

“Good that you asked,” Nick answered and focused on Bunnymund. “Since we, you and me that is, can make portal to go from one place to another instantly, we need to respond first. Here, this is for you.”

Nick tossed a small, gray metal box with small, circular opening on one side covered over by wire mesh. The rounded corners and nearly invisible seams in the metal, along with the general simplistic beauty of the piece, announced it as yeti-made. Jack guessed the purpose of the object. When a horrid squeak issued from it, his guess got confirmed. Bunny made an unpleasant face.

“When you hear this sound, look at the other side. You see numbers there?” Nick asked while trying to take back the box as Bunny attempted to turn it over to view the opposite side. A small tug of war ensued in which Bunny won and gave Nick a long, menacing stare. “Those are the coordinates of where he is.”

“So you think I'm just going to thump twice and leap over where Creak is up to no good?” The giant rabbit asked.

Many sets of eyes focused on him, but no one spoke.

“Really? I thought we gave up going it alone when Jack got his staff broken by Pitch?” The Pooka complained. He looked from person to yeti to tooth fairy and back to Nick. “Really?”

“We're the only ones who can respond in time,” Nick finally said.

“So you and me are supposed knuckle down and give Creak the bizzo alone... by ourselves... without backup?”

“I can get there in a couple of minutes,” Toothania replied, “if you can hold him.”

“And me and Sandy can hitch a ride if we're close enough,” Jack offered and saw the Sandman bobbing his head in agreement.

The Spirit of Hope eyed his compatriots as though he thought them insane. Bunny began to shake his head. He glanced down at the box. Then he looked up.

“And how are the rest of you so-called cobbers supposed to know where this is going on?” Bunny asked in doubtful tones.

Nick fulfilled his role as Santa Claus early and held up five more boxes exactly like the one in Bunny's paws. One by one they each took a device. Toothania looked worried.

“This is going to cause a problem if we're working and the alarm goes off,” she said.

“Looph marphiph naph phonph,” one of the other yeti, and Jack believed it to be Emerson, said.

“If it detects the presence of people, it will automatically switch to a silent mode,” Nick translated.

Jack often wondered why his magical ability to translate languages did not work with yeti. However, given they used some form of compressed speech, he wondered if the complexity outstripped the ability granted by The Man in the Moon. Seconds later he rejected the notion. Yeti were not children, they were not human, and they were more than capable of fending for themselves. Tales of the Sasquatch and abominable snowman spoke of the fear they could inspire. Most humans simply looked at their size and never once gave them a chance. Moreover, yeti tended to by shy and stand-offish. This contrasted with their ability to understand nearly any device one placed in their hands. The more he thought about it, the more he realized the truly amazing nature of the creatures. He cocked his head to one as he pondered the seeming contradictions.

“Jack!” Bunny yelled at him. “Pay attention, lad: this could save your life one day.”

“Sorry, just thinking... about something,” he mumbled.

“Or someone?” Toothania asked with a grin.

“Funny enough, no. It was, ah, work related, I guess.”

“Can you do that Reginald?” Nick asked.

The three yeti consisting of Clyde, Emerson, and Reginald formed into a huddle. Their muffled language rippled through the air at a pace Jack felt certain even Nick could not translate. Everyone stood by. Jack felt something tickle his cheek.

“Cheep?” Baby Tooth inquired.

“Maybe, but, um, I don't know what they're discussing,” he whispered to his small friend.

“Cheep... cheep cheep cheep.”

“No kidding? Isn't that like all Star Trek-y or something and doesn't it violate the laws of physics?”

“Cheep cheep!”

Jack nearly bit through the side of his tongue trying not to laugh out loud. Baby Tooth made an excellent point that he stood among an assemblage of beings who all violated the laws of the physics or the fabric of reality at times, and yet he questioned the small box made by yeti. As he struggled to maintain his composure lest he justifiably receive the ire of his comrades, the yeti turned to face them.

“Omphla phimoph gluph,” one of the yeti said, and Jack guessed it to be Clyde.

“This will hurt, huh. How much?” Nick thoughtfully queried.

“Siphorph omphnomph naph,” Clyde answered.

“Well that does not seem too bad.”

A golden question mark hung over Sandy's head, and he looked a peevish.

“Oh, yes,” the ancient, sturdy Russian said with a touch of embarrassment. “They say it will be like traveling through one of Bunny's drop holes... but about a quarter of the size.”

“Kind of a tight squeeze,” Bunny muttered.

“This is why they say it will hurt a little,” Nick rejoined and looked around. “It is like getting pulled thin.”

“So they can make small, localized drop holes?” Jack asked in awe of the concept.

“Phimoph... nuph aphophorph... giph,” Emerson said, or at least Jack thought it to be Emerson.

“I do not know those words,” the man the world called Santa Claus said and shrugged his shoulders.

“What did he say?” Bunny testily asked.

“Something about a little star falling in on itself and a tube...”

“A gravitational completely collapsed star. He's talking about a wormhole,” Jack enthusiastically interjected. “I saw this on a television program a kid fell asleep watching while I was standing guard.”

The others stared at him with a mix of annoyance and interest.

“Look, when a star dies, if it's big enough and has enough mass, it collapses on itself instead of exploding... going nova or supernova, see?” He answered the looks. “And when it does that, it condenses into something maybe a ten-thousandth of its original size, and that's a lot of matter to compress. Then it acts like a gravity well, and we call it a black hole.”

“Wait just one darn second,” Bunny piped up. “I thought those things destroy everything that gets near them?”

Now all eyes, including Jack's, stared in wonder at Bunny.

“I pay attention to stuff, too,” the enormous Pooka responded.

“Um, yeah, sometimes... depending on the size,” Jack confirmed once he accept Bunny understood the concepts. “But sometimes they bend space and time into a tunnels we call wormholes. Some physicists think we could use those to travel unbelievable distances across the universe and even through time. The problem is they're usually pretty unstable.”

“But we could arrive at Creak's location before he even got started?” Toothania asked, displaying her rather agile mind.

“Eph... Framph uphalph nomph oomphliph halumph,” Clyde appeared to answer.

“He says Jack got it right, but they would only use a very tiny small speck of a... black hole to do this. There is room in the box to make it work, but it would need to connect to either Bunny's or mine box to make the tunnel.”

While Nick spoke, Jack eyed the yeti's and managed to pay attention at the same time. He came to a conclusion. When Nick halted, he decided to air his suspicion.

“You guys aren't from around here,” he quietly said. “And by here I mean Earth.”

The three yeti appeared stunned. They glanced at one another, and then at Nick. Nick nodded, and then eyed the youngest of the Guardians. Jack felt as though he possibly made a mistake.

“This is something we can talk about later, but now we talk about finding Creak and stopping him. What do we think? Do we want the box to make these... tunnels?” Nick carefully answered and smartly navigated back to the original topic.

An exclamation point appeared above the Sandman's head. It seemed he emphatically endorsed the idea. Then Toothania nodded her head. Finally, the assembled looked to Jack.

“I'm used to traveling between worlds and you've never had to fly with the twins, so this seems easy in comparison. Let's do it,” he agreed to the idea.

“Who are these twins?” Nick inquired.

“Ruffnut and Tuffnut. They ride a zippleback, a two-headed dragon, and they aren't too bright.”

“You're going to have to join me for punch one of these days ‘cause I think I might like to hear about these blokes,” Bunny quipped.

“Don't even get me started,” Jack warned and grinned.

“Phiph?” Reginald, at least Jack thought it to be Reginald, said and it sounded like an inquiry.

“Yes, yes. Make the modifications,” urged Santa.

The three yeti collected the boxes from everyone. Emerson seemed to cast a suspicious glance on Jack when he did, but Jack met it calmly. He even smiled, and that appeared to annoy the large being. Nick huddled with them and exchanged plans and words. Bunny, Sandy, and Toothania with her cadre of minions gathered around him. Bunny gave him an askew look.

“You really reckon they're from somewhere else?” The tall rabbit inquired.

“What they're talking about doing is highly advanced physics... hundreds, maybe thousands of years ahead of us,” Jack responded.

“Might be magic,” Toothania proposed.

“You know what magic does to electronics, and the yeti work with electronics all the time.”

Above Sandy's head an array of devices the yeti could construct appeared in the dream sand. Then they all turned to the globe. Jack could not begin to imagine the technical complexity required to build a monitor that focused on children and their status. Nothing about the globe appeared magical to him, but that did not mean the internal working did not use some form of magic. If that proved to be the case, then the yeti found a way to combine electronics with magic. It again argued in favor of Jack's new theory.

“So you don't mind taking a trip through a wormy tunnel?” Bunny asked after a few seconds.

“I've dealt with worse,” Jack quietly said.

“Cheep?” Baby Tooth asked.

“Yes, it... him.”

“Oh,” Toothania inhaled the word. “You told her about that?”

“She asked. Besides, Baby Tooth stuck by me when we faced Pitch the first time, so she could handle it,” Jack told his fellow Guardian.

“Cheep!” Baby Tooth defiantly stated.

Jack and Toothania snickered at her remark.

“So how come you can understand the faeries, but not the yeti?” Bunny questioned him

Sandy also gave him a sly wink.

“Maybe because we faced a real threat together and we needed to be able to communicate. Maybe The Man in the Moon granted the power to me. Maybe because I really, really like and admire Baby Tooth.”

“Cheep,” the smaller version of the larger Tooth Fairy said, and she seemed to grow rosy in color.

“Well, I do. That was one of the bravest acts I ever saw, Tooth,” he spoke sincerely to the tiny creature.

She nuzzled up to his neck.

Bunny rolled his eyes at the display.

In the midst of the camaraderie between Jack and Baby Tooth, a terrible noise issued from the globe. It quickly spun around. Both Sandy and Toothania flew toward it while the alarm faded. Even from where Jack stood next to Bunnymund, they could see a small light suddenly go dark in Mali where it just passed the midnight hour. It stayed dark while they waited. Sandy craned his head around. Jack noted the look of deep concern on his face. Jack nodded in understanding.

“This chap has to go down,” Bunny growled as he stared at the dark spot, “'cause that's not right.”

“He's really old and Nick thinks he's probably very powerful,” Jack reminded his friend.

“I don't care about either of those things, Jack: nothing gets to treat children like that and get away with it.”

“Creak's been doing it for thousands and thousands of years,” Toothania cautioned from above them. “Right, Sandy?”

The Sandman, hovering next to her on a cloud of dream sand, nodded his head. He frowned and appeared angry. Above his head two oblong shapes took form, and the glowed a dull orange. Jack shivered. While he knew it as a sign of Creak, it also brought to mind the flesh hungerers from Halla. One flew threw him once and apparently made a change in him even Thursar H'rim could detect. Jack never understood how the encounter altered his being. However, the flesh hungerers while frightening did not reach the level of menace and terror Creak inspired. Jack looked away.

Nick and one of the yeti, Jack thought it looked like Reginald, trotted up to the group. The two joined in staring at the globe. Toothania silently pointed to the location of the attack.

“So this works, eh?” Nick inquired, yet it did not sound like a question.

“Phi,” Reginald seemed to answer.

“This idea of Jack and Sandman's...”

“Mostly Sandy,” Jack quickly amended.

“Of mostly Sandman's and a little of Jack's is a good one,” the large Russian said in a satisfied if somber tone. “We've not tracked a single per... entity like this since Pitch went underground. It's good we can change with the times.”

No one missed the fact that while Nick spoke his hand gripped the hilt of a sword that seemed to suddenly appear at his side. The other Guardians knew the man used a simple form of obscuring magic to hide the blades that hung from either hip. As an expertly trained swordsman and warrior, Nicholas Saint North would never be caught without his weapons. That he would openly expose one of them gave testament to his dislike of Creak. His blue eyes remained fixed on the small empty spot in the African continent on the globe. His nostrils flared a little.

“We know how to track this blighter now, and the furballs will give us a way to meet him head-on, Nick. His time is coming,” Bunny menacingly stated and ignored the look thrown at him by Reginald.

“Cheep,” Baby Tooth said in Jack's ear.

“Yeah, he's just as furry, but I think we'll remind him of it later,” Jack whispered his response.

For the second time in a week the Guardians stood united with a single intent. While united in purpose at all times, seeing the effect of Creak – a quick, horrific effect – galvanized their collective will. Moreover, Jack sensed they all knew this foe tended to be a breed apart from the others they faced. They understood Pitch Black's agenda. They knew why the blue trolls acted. The tupilaqs lived as a twisted form of revenge on the part of humans, so their motivation could be explained. Even the Monkey King's relentless hatred of Toothania and her family made sense in a crazed manner. Creak, however, defied simple explanation. No one knew what really drove him (or it as Jack often reminded himself). In large part Creak remained unknown because he rarely crossed paths with the Guardians. That, however, would change if their plans held and came to fruition.

“I still don't know how we're going to fight him,” Jack quipped as he simultaneously thought of many things.

Sandy flew down and hovered in front of the gathering before anyone could answer. He looked expressly from Guardian to Guardian. As he did, images formed above his head. When he gazed at Bunny, grass, flowers, birds, and the sun formed a vista in the golden sand. The world appeared bright and healthy in the projection. Jack felt himself sigh when he suddenly could smell the grass. It gave him a sense that better and brighter days neared. When the Sandman looked at Toothania, the scene changed. It began with an infant lying in a crib playing with a stuffed toy. The child grew before their eyes and, in a few short seconds, they saw a life play out before them. Jack felt comfort in the fractured remains of his own past. It gave him a sense of being grounded and real, as much a belief made him feel solid. Memories, he realized, were like a warm blanket on a chilly, windy night.

“Impressive,” Bunny murmured.

When Sandy fixed his eyes on Nick, the group watched with awe as random pieces came together in sure hands and produced an object greater than the individual parts. Toys, while seemingly common and simple, became much more under Nick's guidance. The opened the possibility of new paths of thinking as imagination got prodded into action. The mystery of the world called out to each of them, and Jack felt the marvelous pull. When the Sandman turned his eyes to Jack, Sandy smiled. Above him children took form and enjoyed one another in play. Although silent, one could all but hear the laughter and merriment as it unfolded. In that brief instant, Jack saw the fun he inspired in others did something incredibly profound: it formed bonds and tied people together. He shared in the Sandman's smile and saw his compatriots did as well.

Lastly Sandy held up his arms. A picture of a child tucked snugly into bed formed in the dream sand. Above the small head a cloud appeared, and in that all the possibilities of the world took shape. Adventure awaited as answers to puzzles got created. Dreams, Jack knew, paved the way into the future. A dream formed the first brick in a road, no matter how long, that could be shared by all. A dream brought it all together: past, present, and future. Never before did Jack so fully understand the sheer power at Sandy's beck and call. He stood amazed and grateful he could call the little man his friend.

“It's us, isn't it? We can't stop Creak, but we take away the darkness,” Toothania quietly summed up the lesson the oldest of Guardians presented.

Sandy nodded.

“We are the light,” Nick said and one could hear the spell the Sandman created in his voice.

“It's what we are: hope, memories, wonder, fun, and dreams. It's what makes people fearless and defeats Creak,” Jack added as the moment blossomed in his mind.

Many eyes turned to look at him.

“Crikey, but I think the lad's learned a thing or two,” Bunny teased, but under the sarcasm rang a note of respect.

“Then we do what we've always done, and we meet him where he tries to work his foul trick. We gave back to the children what he takes from them,” the man the world knew as Santa Claus stated, and it sounded so firm that stone took example.

“Umph!” Reginald declared, and no one in the great room needed a translation.

As the sun prepared to crest the horizon half a world away, Hiccup and Toothless pressed themselves into a hollow in the ground and hope the craft chasing them flew past. Hiccup heard the thup-thup sound and light crept under the edge of Toothless' wing that covered him. The noise circled round and round while the light shifted from one spot another. It searched, but did not find. For a small eternity it seemed to hold in the air while the powerful beam of light scanned the ground. Finally the craft moved on. The Viking lay panting next to the trembling dragon.

Neither moved or made a noise for a quarter or an hour.

“I think we're okay for now, bud,” Hiccup said and could not stop the tremble in his voice.

Toothless lifted his wing and the young man crawled out from under it. The night sky did not look as dark as it did during their hurried flight. Hiccup undid the fasteners on his jacket so as to let his body cool. Toothless remained motionless on the ground sucking in lungful after lungful of air. Given the duration and speed at which he flew, his rider did not blame him one bit. He squatted down and patted the leathery head. The large yellow-green eye gazed up at him, and Hiccup saw the unfamiliar look of fear in the dragon's visage.

“I know, Toothless: it was so fast,” he commiserated with his best friend. “But you dodged it. You're a night fury, and nothing beats a night fury!”

Toothless grunted, but it carried unmistakable pleased tone. Hiccup stood and took stock of the area, amazed they managed to find decent cover while on the run. The surrounding trees and various hummocks saved them for full discovery. His injured arm nearly proved their undoing since it meant Toothless could not use his full range of tactics. The break throbbed in renewed pain due to being torqued and twisted during the chase, and Hiccup cradled his arm as he thought over the events.

The night started off in an uneventful manner as they attempted to fly around the southern portion of the mountain range. The Viking learned long ago that trying to fly over mountains could be disastrous, but then he realized neither he nor his dragon would have to fight other wild dragons. However, Earth presented a series of challenges that continuously exceeded the limits of his imagination. The machine, and Hiccup knew it to be a machine since he saw people sitting inside of it, that spotted them as they flew through the night proved agile and extremely fast. Armed with devices that could aim a powerful beam of light, the Hallans did not expect it when they came across the craft zipping through the sky. Somehow it saw their outline, and those lights got shone directly on them. Even from a distance Hiccup could see the surprised expressions on the people.

“They know about us now,” Hiccup murmured as he walked around in a small circle.

The dragon sat up and furled his wings and seemed to relax. The large eyes followed his rider while the Viking ambled about the hiding spot. The sharp ears of Toothless caught a sound, and his head spun in the direction. Panic shot through the human, and Hiccup dropped to a crouch. He intently watched toothless. After a few seconds he realized his companion did not react to danger. Hiccup strained his ears.

“We really got lucky. Hang on while I take off your saddle and harness. It's been getting wet too much and I'm worried about the leather,” Hiccup told Toothless when he also heard the sound of a nearby river.

In truth, all of their equipment took a beating from the unexpected situation. They flew through rain. They flew through freezing temperatures as they tried to survey their route. They flew amid the heavy clouds trapped by the mountains. They got baked in the sun in the lowlands as they sought refuge in forests along the way. Only the fact Hiccup made most of the equipment kept him from serious concern. He knew every piece. Even the saddle, the newest addition, he trusted since he over saw the construction. Thinking of it made him miss Jack all the more and wish his mate would find them. It drove him into the recent past.

“I'm telling you he can carry both of us with no problem. It's the seating that's the issue,” Hiccup told Jack not long after Jack decided he needed a dragon.

“He's got a long enough back,” Jack mumbled as he studied the dragon.

Toothless also studied the Guardian and wore a particular expression. The few who knew about the exploits of Hiccup, Jack, and Toothless would immediately recognize the dragon seemed hopeful for a particular outcome. Jack, however and following Hiccup's advice, did not even mention he possibility of magically-induced incorporeal flight. Instead, the brown-haired young man continued to measure and examine the creature. Jack privately considered Toothless to be an incredibly handsome beast.

“Since you're going to be making this for a lot of people, might as well make one for us,” Hiccup continued to prod his now human companion.

Dressed in a light blue woolen shirt and sturdy leather pants since he worked in a smithy, Jack felt comfortable in the clothing since it bore a passing resemblance to his Guardian attire. He acknowledged his subconscious preferences. Over the shirt he wore a canvas apron with several pockets. In the pockets he kept small tools and writing implements. The design came from the inventive mind of Fishlegs.

“But his old saddle was just hardened leather, so why use a wooden frame now?” Jack questioned while trying to envision a new design.

“Because it'll be carrying two people and needs to be sturdy,” the young Viking man repeated for the third time. “Besides, then we can add hooks and eyelets so we can strap stuff to it. Anyway, it's not like I'm asking you to build a cart.”

Jack waggled his head back and forth as he considered the words and considered the needs at hand. One thought remained in his head and he narrowed his eyes. Hiccup caught the look and rolled his eyes in response.

“And if we're going out looking for a dragon for you, this will help.”

“Still want a dragon, huh?” Fartbritches asked from the doorway of the small workshop. Sweat trickled down his face from the effort of trying to bend a hot piece of metal.

“It seems to be the thing here, and... I really like flying,” Jack said, uncertain of how much he should say.

“Don't know why you do. They're a pain to take care of.”

“Not if you do it right, Farb,” Hiccup testily retorted.

Everyone on the island knew Hiccup hated the way the Hooligans named their children. As a result, he began to nickname those whose names he found vile. As a result, Fartbritches became Farb, and the man did not seem to mind. Moreover, a number of other people used the new appellation. Some members of the community complained he did not have the right to rename people, and several heated arguments took place. However and ever the Viking, Hiccup stood his ground refusing to give up the practice.

“They're too picky,” the junior of the two apprentices to Gobber replied.

“It wanted fish, and you kept trying to give it mutton!”

“What's the difference?” Fartbritches complained.

“Taste for one... and it was a shockjaw, Farb, so of course it wanted fish,” Hiccup grumbled out the words.

Jack detected this argument predated him, so he wisely remained uninvolved.

“It stung me, too!” The apprentice smith added to his complaints. “And it wouldn't listen.”

“I'm not going through this again, Farb. You just didn't have the patience to train a dragon. Not everyone does.”

“And he's not going to have work if he doesn't finish bending that rod!” Gobber yelled from deeper within the workshop.

Fartbritches looked panicked and promptly disappeared from the doorway. Hiccup turned around and appeared frustrated. Jack smirked.

“It's not funny, Jack. That shockjaw could've killed him even if it was just a baby,” the Viking harrumphed.

“I know. I've read the book, but that's not why I was smiling,” Jack replied.

Hiccup frowned.

“You can't help it, Hiccup. How long ago was it that Farb tried to train a dragon?”

“Um, let's see... three years ago, and he failed. Miserably!”

Jack walked up to his mate after setting down his measuring tape and patting Toothless on the neck. When he reached Hiccup, he rose on his toes and kissed the Viking on the cheek. It turned a light pink in response.

“You're a leader and a teacher, Hiccup. You love dragons and you want others to love them just as much. It frustrates you when someone else just doesn't see it the same way as you,” the Guardian told him.

“Have you been hanging around Gothi ‘cause you sound an awful lot like her right now?” Hiccup protested, and yet not a trace of acrimony could be heard.

“You know I've been around and seen a few things here and there.”

Hiccup leaned his head back, staring down the length of his nose at Jack. Over the past several months the two learned how to read each others expressions. Jack could tell Hiccup took measure of him in some form.

“Three hundred years, huh?” The Viking whispered.

“Give or take a decade,” Jack corrected.

“You don't look a day over twenty,” Hiccup teased him.

“I was preserved in the cold, don't forget.”

Hiccup shook his head, rolled his eyes, and then encircled the slender young man with his long arms. Jack instinctively returned the gesture. Whether up close or at a distance no one could miss the tenderness in the embrace. Most everyone who knew the two understood each sought to protect the other, yet few understood how those feelings came about. In that moment in the workshop, Hiccup and Jack felt safe and free to let down their guard. The hug became an expression of love.

“You're still worried about me being on a dragon, huh?” The Guardian inquired.

“You're human now, Jack,” was all Hiccup needed to say to express a wide range of concerns.

“I know, and everything that can happen to you can happen to me, but you've got to trust I can take care of myself.”

“But you've been the other way for so long, I... maybe... you're not...” the taller of the two stumbled through his statement.

“I'm not out of practice at looking for danger. We both know I'm not completely safe in my... other clothes. Things can happen, so I've got to be careful,” Jack completed for him and pondered for a moment. Then he said: “You know that making me wait too long could make me impatient. I really want to get back into the sky.”

“I know! I know! Trust me: I've thought a lot about what it would be like if I couldn't hop on Toothless' back and take off into the air. I figure it's got to be ten times worse for you since it was pretty much built into you.”

“I'm not going to lie and say it isn't hard to live without it, but the trade-off... it's worth it.”

Jack then squeezed Hiccup with all his might, and felt a small bit of satisfaction when he heard wind rush out of the Viking's mouth. Then Hiccup did the same. The wiry frame belied the real strength in Hiccup's entire body. Hard muscle overlay the lanky form. While other young men possessed bulk: Hiccup's sinew stretched over bone gave him incredible leverage. Simply watching the young man wrestle the night fury, something Hiccup did on a regular basis, showed more resided under the surface than could be guessed. At the moment, Jack started to regret engaging him in a squeezing contest.

“You win,” Jack wheezed when his mate did not desist.

Hiccup chuckled and relieved the pressure. However, the Viking did not release him. They looked at one another for a moment.

“I'm going to ask you a question that might upset you,” Hiccup warned.

The Guardian nodded.

“Are you going to be angry if you can't find a dragon that'll accept you?”

The thought never occurred to Jack. It took a few seconds, but it came as a shock to him in the end. Jack assumed anyone could become a rider if he or she simply put the effort into it. Fartbritches appeared to provide an example of the principle in action.

“Has, um... has that ever happened to anyone?” Jack finally counter-questions.

“Many times. Farb's not the only one who didn't succeed, and some of them really tried.”

“So, ah, why did they... you know, fail at it?”

Hiccup glanced down at him with a serious expression and said: “I never really figured out why. But I think it comes down to finding the right one that fits perfectly into somebody's life. It's like the rider and the dragon are reflections of one another. Does that make sense?”

Jack nodded his head.

“Can I say something that's going to make you mad at me?”

“You can always risk it,” the young man from a drastically different place agreed.

“I don't think there's a dragon that can equal you, Jack.”

Jack's mouth fell open in disbelief.

“The Guardian part of you is still in there,” Hiccup quietly said and tapped Jack's chest with a finger after disentangling his left arm. “No dragon can match that. They might realize they're not really worthy of you.”

“That's the stupidest thing I ever heard,” Jack snapped at him while trying to control the reaction. “Why would my... other clothes make any difference to a dragon?”

“Toothless sees it, and he reacts to it. Snaggletail leans away from you whenever you go near her, and I think Barf's afraid of you as well. Just because it's isn't in the open anymore doesn't mean dragons can't... sense it. Any dragon you approach is going to sense it as well, so I think you need to be prepared for that.”

Hiccup watched as the angry reaction settled across Jack's face. Despite the honest earnestness of the Guardian, no one could guarantee he would succeed. The Viking did not lie in his assessment. Since Jack took up permanent residence on Berk, he began to see the pattern emerge in dragons. The creatures seemed to know something more hid within Jack than the human eye could detect. Whatever Noro the Sky Dancer did to make Jack human on a more or less full-time basis, it could not completely mask the true nature of the young man. Dragons appeared to inherently sense the reality.

“And that's why I'm asking you to make this saddle,” Hiccup returned to the original reason for his visit to the workshop.

“Why? In case I fail at... impressing a dragon?” Jack said and the words grated through his teeth.

“It's the other way around, pal: it's the dragons that'll be afraid of not impressing you,” the Viking rejoined in a controlled voice. “We need this saddle so Toothless can carry both of us when we go looking for one who'll – I don't know – understand what you are and not shy away from you.”

Green eyes met brown eyes. The two locked their gaze. Hiccup saw something unfamiliar in Jack's visage: uncertainty. Thus, he started to understand the source of his companion's anger. Privately, Hiccup thought it good he faced this challenge both internally and externally since much of a human life rested in the realm of uncertainty. Jack needed to get used to dealing with issues and situations when he could not call upon his extraordinary powers.

On Earth Hiccup turned and looked at the saddle Jack ultimately made. Despite not utilizing his skills for over three hundred years, the woodwork he produced proved excellent in quality. Jack did not work fast since he struggled to remember what got taught to him during his first stint as a mortal, yet the end result could not be questioned. Others took note of what he did, including fixing the wobbling table at the house and building the set of stairs, and began to bring work orders to him. Hiccup reached out and gently caressed the saddle. He missed Jack in ways that defied description.

“He doesn't even know where here, bud,” Hiccup told the resting dragon as he looked around vale in which they landed.

The growing dawn made the tree trunks appear like shadowy ghosts and the young leaves like small gray hands. He looked upward and saw the dismal prospect for more rain. Even the last of the dark sky could not hide the veneer of clouds. Since he worried about the condition of everything, Hiccup stood, cradled his arm, and began to inspect the equipment. More worrisome news greeted his eyes. Toothless' skin began to show abrasions from where the harness and tack rubbed against him. The dragon seldom, if ever, wore the gear for so long in a single stretch. Although it caused pain, Hiccup went to work removing the gear from the dragon. Toothless looked on, and sighed in relief when the saddle gracelessly slid from his back. In short order, Toothless stood naked.

“Okay, Toothless, go for a swim and get something to eat... and make it fast. Day is almost here,” he said and slapped the beast on the rump.

Toothless appeared to sense the need for secrecy. Instead of launching himself into the sky and diving in as he normally did on Halla, the dragon crept to the edge of the lake and slipped quietly into the water. Hiccup altered his thinking as he realized the dragon went hunting fish and did not want to scare them; hence the need for the sublime entrance. Since the sun rose behind the mountains, Toothless remained invisible in the water. It never failed to amaze the Viking at how long some non-aquatic species of dragon could remain under the water. Toothless could stay submerged for nearly a quarter of an hour. By the time the Toothless emerged from the water with his mouth overflowing with brown and silver fish, Hiccup only just began to grow concerned.

“Good fishing, huh?” He asked as the dragon waddled up to him.

Toothless let the haul fall form his mouth, and then began to eat the wriggling catch. Although it drew a displeased look from his flying friend, Hiccup snagged what appeared to be a trout for himself. He sharpened his knife on the whetstone stashed in one of the many pockets in his jacket, and set about cleaning and scaling the fish. Growing up on an island in the middle of a rather brutal sea meant Hiccup learned to like fish before he could even remember. Moreover, raw fish could be palatable depending on the species. Hiccup found the fish pulled for the cold, deep waters of these mountains to be rather sweet and almost without taste. Thus, he satisfied himself with a meal brought to him by his best friend. Next to him the dragon happily crunched on the heads of the fish as he ate. The sense of panic that forced their landing receded.

“It's gonna rain, bud, so move over,” Hiccup demanded as they settled in next to a clump of trees.

Without needing to be asked, Toothless raised a wing and the Viking crawled under it. The vast, leathery mainsail of the wing would protect him if it rained. Since it could grow uncomfortably hot lying next to the dragon, Hiccup stripped off his leather riding clothes, and wrapped them together with a the saddle and packs in the large square of oil cloth he always carried in one of the packs. Too many times the duo found themselves out-of-doors in inclement weather to fail to learn from the experiences. Excepting the reasons why they camped, overall they fared well to that point.

“Night, bud,” the young man said to the dragon as he curled into a ball under the wing.

Toothless gurgled his response, and both soon fell into a deep slumber.

“Kaj so te oznake? Skladbe?” Hiccup heard just as the dragon roused and then froze.

The voices sounded a way off. Hiccup fought down the sense of renewed panic in his gut. He always tried hard to find places away from populated areas, but the cause of the sudden landing in the early morning hours negated those efforts. As he calmed his rattled nerves, he both felt and heard Toothless begin to grumble.

“No, Toothless. Quiet!” He hissed in a whisper while wrapping a hand around the broad snout.

The dragon stilled. Hiccup shifted until he faced outward, and the slowly lifted the edge of the wing. By his quick estimation, he figured they slept deep into the afternoon. A drizzle, more a mist, drifted out of the sky. He wondered why people would be tramping around the woods in such weather when he heard the sound of feet snapping twigs and rustling leaves in the distance. Part of Hiccup wanted to go out and confront the people before they could find Toothless, yet another part told him to stay put in case they did stumbled across them. Strange words carried through the thin bole of trees offering them cover. Toothless began to tense, and it told Hiccup the people drew nearer.

“Poglej! Več skladb!” An older and distinctly male voice called out somewhere left of north.

Hiccup organized his thoughts and tried to construct a map of the area in his head. He knew a body of water lay close by since he specifically looked for it in their hurried flight. Water meant life for both of them, and it became a central focus of any area they needed to find. From the quality of the voices, they sounded as if they walked along the edge of the shore. Hiccup stuck he head out further from under the wing. The small thicket they found to nestle against obscured his view, yet the Viking understood innate curiosity when he heard it. The crackling of leaves drew closer. Toothless began to vibrate in response.

“Easy, buddy. Stay calm,” he quietly told his beloved friend.

He guessed whoever walked near the water found Toothless' tracks, and Hiccup damned himself for failing to obscure those that morning. However, they never needed to do so in the past since they kept far from other humans. Thus, he tried to forgive his lapse in precautions. It became harder to alleviate his sense of guilt as the footfalls grew increasingly near. Hiccup scanned the area hoping to see the people first.

“Moj bog, hudić!” A voice yelled from behind Hiccup.

As one Hiccup and Toothless jumped up and spun around. A terrified older looking man gaped at them. From behind him a small girl came running up. She screamed when she saw Toothless. Hiccup jumped in front of Toothless to keep the dragon from letting loose with a plasma blast. Setting the people or woods ablaze did not seem like either a good idea or a viable option at the moment. In an odd form of mimicry, the older man's arms curled around his back and kept the girl safely behind him. Hiccup recognized this as a protective instinct and measure.

Time felt as though it came to a halt.


	5. Chapter 5

Four sets of eyes surveyed one another, and time seemed stuck. Everyone, including the dragon, appeared tense and a bit afraid. The Viking knew the next few seconds would dictate exactly how the situation would play out having faced similar circumstances in the past. Mostly he wanted to keep Toothless from overreacting since that would only make matters worse. Hiccup forced himself to relax.

“Okay, no one do anything stupid,” he said while stretching his arms out in what he hoped could be assumed as a friendly gesture.

Each duo stood frozen staring at the other. Fear rippled across the three human faces, while the dragon appeared ready to pounce. The old man and the young girl look completely terrified. Hiccup turned his hands palm up to show he carried no weapons. The older person wore sturdy laced boots, pants made of a heavy green material, a gray shirt, and a brown jacket the likes of which Hiccup never saw before. He also carried in his hand a long, thin pole with some sort of nearly transparent filament threaded through loops and terminating in a spool close to the hand. Hiccup immediately recognized it as a fishing pole. Now he knew why the two came to the lake.

“We're not going to hurt you,” he promised in a solemn voice as he began to understand their presence.

The little girl clung to the man's thigh and buried her face in the fabric of his pants. The man's eyes shifted back and forth between Hiccup and Toothless. The Viking, in some ways, understood their fear. For generations his people feared and fought dragons because of ignorance about the creatures. Hiccup did not want to change the minds of these people as much as he wanted to buy time so he and Toothless could escape deeper into the forest. A plan formed quickly in his mind.

“Honestly, we don't mean any harm,” Hiccup said in a clam, slow manner.

He then lowered his arms and stepped to the side so Toothless' head became exposed. He then looped his injured right arm in a seemingly lazy fashion around the dragon's neck, and crouched next to his beloved friend. He hugged the neck even though it brought him pain, and Toothless warbled in response. The old man watched with huge eyes. His confusion did not need interpretation.

“He's my friend. He's just trying to protect me,” the Viking explained although he felt positive a language barrier existed.

“Zmaj, ni hudić?” The man said, and it sounded like a question to Hiccup.

“It's a dragon, not that that'll mean anything to you, but he's really gentle,” Hiccup explained and promised. 

Hiccup learned through years of trying to broker peace between people, even the failed attempt with Drago Bludvist that cost him his father's life, the signs of a curious and thinking person. The old man appeared less afraid and more interested in what he faced. The girl, on the other hand, maintained her current protected position.

“Zmaj,” the man half-whispered, and then looked directly at Hiccup with a focused gaze. “Vedno sem sanjal, da vidim zmaja. Kje ste našli to bitje?”

“I don't know what you're saying,” Hiccup uselessly confessed. “Look, we just want to pack up and get out of here. Honestly.”

The man clearly did not understand a word Hiccup said. Hiccup then went through an elaborate pantomime showing he wanted to collect and pack their belongings, and then simply fly away. It took several minutes. As he tried to convey his meaning, Toothless furled his wings, crouched into a more comfortable position, and appeared less threatening while maintaining a watchful gaze. During the same time, the young girl with ringlets of dark hair, amber colored eyes, and a round face terminating in a pointed chin gradually peaked around her guardian's leg. Hiccup could not tell if she was a daughter, niece, or grandchild. Her vibrant pink jacket and dark blue pants ending in a form of footwear Hiccup could scarcely described to himself indicated she also planned on fishing. At one point he tried to smile at her, but she ducked back behind the man's leg.

“Odletel, hmm. Toda kje? Zakaj? Od kod si?” The man replied, shrugging his shoulders, and then splaying out his hands.

Hiccup did not understand a single word, but he could make a rational guess. The man sounded as if he asked questions. Even his gestures seemed to beg questions. Hiccup wished circumstances could give him the luxury to find out what the man wanted to know, but a slowly renewing sense of fear urged him to his real purpose. Further exposure did not seem like a good idea. Moreover, he could not imagine what the man would tell family and friends about the encounter. Those considerations fell to the wayside as the main need became pressing. Hiccup made the flying motion with his hands again.

The man nodded, pointed in a direction, and said: “Nato glavo na zahod v gorah. Boste varna... bolj varno tam.”

Hiccup spared a moment to look over his shoulder in the direction the man aimed. He pointed to the mountains, and the Viking got the impression the man suggested he go back there. It suddenly struck Hiccup the man no longer displayed any real sense of fear. Caution, perhaps, but not fear. The stranger's eyes stayed glued to Toothless. When he noticed Hiccup watched him, a small smile spread over his mouth.

“Ko sem bil otrok, sem prebral nekaj knjig, imenovane ‘Zmaja Kolesarje za Pern.'”

“Yeah, ah, so... do you get what I mean?” Hiccup inquired and began to stand, looking toward his small pile of gear.

The man glanced over as well. He then nodded. The small, strange smile appeared again when his line of sight returned to Toothless.

The Viking reached down and pulled the dragon's head up so they could face each other, and he told the beast: “They're not going to hurt us, so don't do anything to hurt them. Okay?”

Toothless rumbled what sounded like agreement.

“Moj bog, da vas razume!” The man muttered in a breathless voice.

The dragon's eyes shifted back to the man. The girl remained hidden. Hiccup decided he best act fast, so he finished standing, and started walking toward his gear. He reached out with his broken arm to grab the oil cloth, and then hissed when the quick action caused the break in his arm to complain. He curled it to his chest. He heard Toothless grumble, and looked back. The man took a step forward, but the dragon took it as a threat and issued his own warning.

“Ne, prosim. Vidim, da ste ranjenih,” the man said in a tight voice while keeping a wary eye on Toothless. He averted his gaze to Hiccup and continued: “Ne morem pomagati. Bil sem bolničar v vojski. Nisem zdravnik, ampak jaz lahko naredim nekaj.”

Hiccup felt his brow furrow in a vain attempt to make sense of the strange language. The man then began his own pantomime. He held his arm as Hiccup did, running his hand over the same spot where the break occurred in limb. The man stretched out his arms, brought his fists together, and then brought them down. Hiccup instantly understood the action to mean something breaking, and the puzzle began to piece together. The man knew he broke his arm. Hiccup cocked his head to one side. The man nodded.

“Vaš opornica je narobe, ker ga je z eno roko,” he said and made as motion as if winding something around his arm. Hiccup nodded. “Tvoja roka ne bodo zaceli pravilno, če ga pusti tako!”

“Yes, my arm is broken,” Hiccup answered and pointed to his appendage.

The man made the wrapping motion again around his own arm and said: “Jaz lahko določi vaš opornico, če me boš pustil.”

Hiccup looked down at his splinted arm while trying to gleam some meaning. As he thought, he repeated the motion the man made.

“Da! Da! Točno tako!” The strange said in an excited manner as if pleased by repeated action, and then made the same motion again in a slower, more methodical manner.

“Wait! Are you saying you can do something about this?” Hiccup queried with both a slim sense of hope and a lot of confusion.

The man made a frustrated face. He then pulled the child away from his leg, squatted down to face her, and then began to speak at a frantic pace. The girl shook her head back and forth while he spoke, but his voice became increasingly firm. After nearly a minute of exchange, in which the girl made gruff replies, the man appeared to grow angry. The girl relented. Two men and a dragon watched her suddenly trot off through the woods. The man stood and faced Hiccup again.

“Ona se dogaja, da bi dobili ribolovnega orodja. Imam nekaj stvari v tam, da bo pomagal,” he stated and sounded as if he explained something.

Hiccup nodded his head again, although he did not comprehend. He started to pull the oil cloth away from the stash. Once more, Toothless growled. The man walked forward a step, but stopped.

“I, ah, think he wants to help,” Hiccup slowly said and reached out with his injured arm to pat the dragon.

The man then pointed to his eye and then to Hiccup's arm. He repeated the motion twice. Hiccup nodded. Although Toothless did not growl, his crown spikes lay flat against his neck: a sure sign of distrust. Hiccup patted the neck again and then lifted his arm. He also took a step forward so as to put himself between the willing stranger and the wary dragon. 

“Eh... Bojan,” the man said as he slowly walked toward Hiccup. He touched his chest with his index finger and repeated: “Bojan.”

“Bow... yan?” Hiccup said the word and made a puzzle faced.

“Moje ime je Bojan,” the man stated, distinctly saying each word and touching his chest again at the last word.

Hiccup mimicked the gesture and mouthed the final word. He suddenly felt stupid and rolled his eyes while saying: “Your name is Bojan.”

“Da! Bojan!” Bojan eagerly agreed, and then pointed to the Viking. “Lep pozdrav? Tvoje ime?” 

Hiccup pointed at the man and then to himself, and once more rolled his eyes as his own lagging comprehension. He nodded and said: “Hiccup.”

“Hitch... oop?” Bojan said the two parts of the name as a question.

“Yes, not bad,” Hiccup replied and nodded his head. “Hiccup.”

“Hitchoop,” the man repeated the name and rolled it around in his mouth. “Čudno... ampak moja verjetno čudno za vas. Zdaj pa vidim roko, Hitchoop.”

The man held out his hands, lifting them twice in the air. Hiccup got the hint and strolled up to the man. The Viking noticed Bojan possessed thick hands with thick, calloused fingers. He recognized them as the hands of a working man. However, Bojan's touch proved gentle as he slowly untied the scraps of cloth hastily torn from Hiccup's undershirt. The man deftly caught the two sticks as they fell. The sudden loss of support made Hiccup wince.

“Boli, kaj? To še ni začela še zdraviti. Ste to delajo preveč, vendar morda ne boste imeli veliko izbire o tem,” Bojan quietly spoke as he looked over the injured limb.

Hiccup lost track of anything the man said while looking at the yellowing purple spot on his arm. Bojan's sturdy finger gingerly prodded in places, and the man watched the Viking's reaction. In the midst of the evaluation, both men head a coughing sound. Hiccup, an inch or so taller than Bojan, glanced over the man's shoulder while Bojan craned his head around.

“Katica, prinese da sem,” Bojan apparently said to the girl.

The girl swung her head back and forth causing the ringlets of dark hair to bounce in the air. She clutched a large pack to her, and Hiccup stood intrigued by the design. Moreover, the girl did not move.

“Oni ne bo vas bolelo, zdaj bi ga tukaj!” The elderly man stated in an almost cross manner.

Despite her obvious fear at angering the older man, she seemed more afraid of Toothless since her eyes remained locked on the dragon. Hiccup felt he understood her reaction since his first reaction to Toothless lacked any form of real bravery. Only empathy drove him to spare the dragon that day years ago. It took him a moment to remember Toothless could be frightening to behold if one never saw him before.

“It's okay, Bojan. She's afraid of Toothless,” Hiccup told the man in what he hoped sounded companionable.

“Kako ve vaše ime, Dedek?” The girl squealed out the sentence.

“Ker sem mu povedala in je razumel. Zdaj pa pridi sem!”

The girl shook her head again. Bojan turned a frustrated face to Hiccup and sighed. After a moment he said: “Otroci? Kaj storite z nijmi na tem svetu, kajne? Daj mi trenutek.”

Bojan released Hiccup's arm, causing him to wince a third time, and walked toward the girl. The man knelt in front of the frightened child. Hiccup heard Bojan whisper to her in what sounded like more soothing tones. The girl mumbled in response. Bojan relieved her of the pack, patted her on the head, and then spoke again in a sterner voice. The girl promptly sat on the wet ground in a graceless move. Bojan grumbled something at her. She nodded. The man then spent half a minute digging through his pack. He pulled from it a bright red box with a white lid. Hiccup saw a large red cross on the cover. The man opened it, retrieved a what looked to be two snowballs, closed the case, and stuffed it back into his pack. Then he handed the pack to the girl.

“To ni veliko,” Bojan said and held up the two snowball-looking items, “vendar sem lahko vsaj vaš opornica bolje in pomagal nastaviti roko.”

“Um, sure, I guess” Hiccup said and hoped it made sense. Then he mentally kicked himself as he realized the man understood as much of what he said as what he understood Bojan said.

As the man approached again, he said: “Videti si trmast in ni čudno, da bolečine, tako da upam, da vas ne moti, če to boli.”

Hiccup nodded since it seemed like the proper response. Bojan slowly walked up to him, keeping one eye on the dragon who kept both eyes on the man, and paused when he stood directly in before the Viking. He glanced at the arm, then at the dragon, and then back at the arm. He made a strained expression as he gazed at Hiccup.

“Oh!” Hiccup said as the meaning sank into his brain. “Toothless, don't get angry. This man is trying to help. It might sound like it, but he's not really hurting me.”

“Pripravljen?”

Hiccup heard the question in the man's voice. To answer, he held up his arm. Bojan put the sticks and the two odd white balls into one of his jacket pockets. For a brief moment Hiccup got lost in admiring unusual garment and how well-crafted it appeared. He added several new questions to the list he would present to Jack if – and then Hiccup mentally corrected himself – when he returned home.

“Hitchoop,” Bojan said and got his attention. He held up his hands and mimed a pulling motion. “Ali ste pripravljeni za to?”

“Gods, this is going to hurt, isn't it?” The Viking moaned as he guessed at the intent. He looked down at Toothless and wonder how the dragon would react if he yelled out in pain. “Toothless, please, don't do anything stupid. This man is going to help me.”

The dragon gazed up at him and made a trilling noise deep in his throat. Hiccup knew it to mean his friend did not quite understand the situation at hand. Hiccup smiled and tried to look happy. Toothless cocked his large, dark head to one side.

“Not buying it, huh, bud? Okay, I am going to yell... and probably a lot, but don't do anything. I have to go through this. Got it?”

Toothless snorted.

“Bojan,” Hiccup said as he focused on the man and presented his arm again. “Better make this fast ‘cause I can't guarantee he'll be nice when you do what I think you're going to do.”

Bojan grasped Hiccup's wrist with a surprisingly strong grip. Then he grabbed the elbow in an even firmer hold. The two men looked one another in the eye. Hiccup nodded and started to clamp down on his jaw.

“Ena... dva... tri,” Bojan said, and Hiccup immediately figured out the man counted out the warning.

A loud yell followed by and an unbelievably loud roar ripped through the copse of trees.

Jack floated next to the statue in the town square watching the children play in the warm spring air. With winter behind them and the promise of summer on the horizon, it would be miraculous if the children even thought of him in passing. Regardless, Jack found their fun and mischief infectious and invigorating. Since first turning on the Creak tracking system the night before, he and his compatriots watched as five lights – the basic joy of childhood – become dark. Bunny shot to the scenes as soon as they detector sounded only to find a crying, terrified child and no sign of the creature that caused the reaction. Creak, whatever it could be, acted faster than the collective magic, technology, and will of the Guardians. Not only did it perplex Jack, it worried him about their future.

“If word gets out about this,” he darkly mused while the children of Burgess ran circles around the base of the statue. “If Pitch learned about it... ugh!”

“We can't let him find out, mate,” a quiet voice with an Australian accent said from below.

Jack glanced down and saw Bunnymund leaning against the pedestal. His gray fur with black markings looked too hot to wear on a spring day, but the Guardian appeared relaxed. Children ran right through him. Bunny did not so much as flinch. Jack, conversely, always found it disconcerting since it tended to remind him of the three centuries he spent in an insubstantial form. He drifted over and met the clear-eyed gaze of the enormous Pooka.

“Out with it, lad: why is this bothering you so much? You only come here when you're fretting about something. Besides, we've face bad entities before and won,” Bunny prodded him.

“It's not fair, Bunny. Why does he get away with this? Why can't we even catch him in the act?” Jack countered and admitted his thoughts.

“Why can't the Nightmare King defeat the master of dreams? Don't you think Pitch finds that unfair?”

“You're being a relativist, furball!”

“Relax, kid!” The giant rabbit warned as much as recommended.

Jack and Bunny both looked heated by the small exchange. However, the Spirit of Fun could not deny the Spirit of Hope raised a good point. What seemed fair or unfair depended largely on the position of the person. That knowledge irritated him. He thought issues such as Creak should be unambiguous and easy to discern.

“Have you tried to figure out what he wants? Why he does this?” Bunny asked in a gruff manner.

“Have you?” Jack inquired and let his eyes grow cold.

Bunny looked away. Jack floated down so they met at eye level. He watched his friend's reaction. The rabbit, he thought, possessed an incredibly expressive face for one covered in fur.

“He scares you, doesn't he?”

“As much as he scares you,” Bunny knowingly retorted.

The sound of laughter echoed around them as they stood unnoticed by the children in the midday sun. Once again it reminded Jack that on Halla dragons could see him when others could not. He wondered anew at the reason why. Then his mind snapped back to the present situation.

“I've never faced anyone I can't at least catch up to, Jack. I get there and... nothing,” Bunny continued after a few seconds. He then inhaled deeply since everyone knew the scents of spring revived him as much as the first chill wind of a new winter breathed life into Jack.

“Nothing?” The Spirit of Fun slowly said the word as a question. “Did you look under the bed?”

“Do you think I'm a dill, Frosty? Course I looked under the bed. Did that straight off when I got to each place. No portal.”

Jack's mouth fell open.

“Yeah, right there with you, mate,” Bunny muttered as he slapped a closed paw into the other. “Never seen anyone lob in like that. More like us, if you give it a thought.”

Jack nodded in agreement. This supported the theory Creak could materialize and dematerialize at will. It put him on par with both the Sandman and Jack. The implications became immediately disturbing.

“Kept thinking ‘bout back in the day when you'd go wobbly when you got bored before you became one of us. Nick had it in mind you'd might be going dark on us,” the rabbit rumbled.

“Never!” Jack hotly rejoined, offended nearly beyond measure.

“Said might, lad, not would or did. Still, gives you a pause, doesn't it?”

“Did Nick say if The Man in the Moon gave an answer?” Jack asked before his emotions about the topic got out of hand.

“Nah. We never see him, you know that. Other than you and Cat Box...”

“Don't call him that! Are you that insecure you've got to make up these names for the rest of us?”

“Ease up, Jackie. Just having a go and mean nothing by it, you know,” Bunny said with actual contrition in his voice. He cocked an eyebrow and said: “Ever since you've been going to that other place, you come back more cranky each time. Come on: what gives?”

“I want to be there with him, Bunny,'' Jack confessed, and the desire bloomed in his chest. “I know it seems like I'm only gone for one night here, but it's a whole month over there... and the same happens here. I'm living two lives and it just gets so confusing at times. I mean, right before I came back this time, we were being chased by a skrill...”

“A what?”

“Skrill. A dragon in a bad mood all the time and very fast. It also shoots lightning out of its mouth, if you can believe that.”

“And you want to go back to that?” Bunnymund asked in disbelief, tossing one of his fabled boomerangs from hand to hand.

Jack sighed and watched the children for a few moments. He wished he could turn solid so as to feel the sun, but the rules dictated otherwise. One of the perks of living as a mortal on Halla meant he truly got to experience the seasons again. With each day that passed, Jack increasingly missed his life on Halla and with Hiccup. Conversely, when on Halla, he worried about the happenings on Earth and he missed flying. It seemed appropriate the topic of the skrill should emerge.

“The dragons are like us, Bunny. Each kind is unique, they each share some things in common, but it's the differences...”

Jack stopped talking. He gazed further afield. Bunny coughed once. Then he coughed again.

“Hello!” The Pooka said in a loud voice. “Mind finishing what you started before you go on a mental walkabout?”

“You said it, Bunny: Creak is more like us,” the child of cold said in an excited voice. “So... let me ask you this: how would you fight any one of the other Guardians?”

“We don't fight each other...”

“But if you had to! How would you defeat Sandy?”

E. Aster Bunnymund stared at Jack Frost as though the youngest Guardian lost his mind. Jack, however, kept his gaze firm and fixed. He twiddled with his staff during the wait, and he planned on waiting as long as it took his friend to think of answer.

“Don't quite know how I'd fight him to be honest. That dream sand is pretty wicked stuff, you know. Plus he can fly, and goes all wispy like you can do... not like this right now when were out in the sun with people around, but you know what I mean,” the giant rabbit stumbled his way through part of an answer.

“Maybe we need to think about this. Nick said Creak's as old as Sandy... if not older. He's been around as long as humans have, so he's old and powerful. We don't come across him very often... but why?”

Bunny eyed Jack.

“I don't think he's afraid of us, but why does he stay out of our way?” Jack continued to press the point.

“You've got a tricky little mind there, Jack. What're you thinking?” Bunny queried.

“I don't know yet. I think part of the answer lies in understanding what we are. Did you ever think about what you are, Bunny?”

“I'm the last of my clan,” his friend whispered.

“I know, and I didn't mean to bring up bad memories...”

“Don't sweat it, kid. I know you didn't mean to,” Bunny interrupted the apology. “But you might be onto something. You used to give us fits at times, but we knew you weren't evil... well, Sandy and Toothania didn't.”

“You thought I was evil?” Jack asked and did not mask his skepticism.

“Hello? Easter of sixty-eight? That was not nice at all, and you've even got to admit it bordered on evil!”

“It just got out of hand, Bunny. How was I supposed to know that lower pressure system moved in?”

Although they privately debated the issue on a regular basis, Bunny never fully accepted the apology for the freak blizzard Jack conjured up decades ago. As a result, Jack learned a greater appreciation of his powers and to exercise them with a bit more care. Some jests, he discovered, resulted in far reaching consequences. The incident also cemented his fascination with science and especially meteorology.

“Regardless, it still doesn't help us with Creak,” Jack said returning to the main issue and hoping the other would drop.

“This is your slow season, right?” Bunny inquired although he still sounded angry.

“I do most of my work up in mountains. There's not a lot of winter or snow in the southern hemisphere for me to work with, so it's the mountains or nothing,” Jack truthfully answered. “Although I do get a lot of Guardian time in during the summer.”

“Mind taking up for a while in The Warren?”

“Me? Living in your warren?”

“Not ideal, I know, but it might help if I have you on hand when an alarm comes in. This way you can go with me into a rabbit hole...”

“You know I hate those things!”

“Toughen up, boy,” Bunny sneered at him. “I can't sit around at some child's house waiting for you to fly in when Creak's been and gone probably when I arrive. I need you or Sandy to be there with me, and Sandy works nights, so you're it!”

Bunny's logic corned Jack. He truly disliked traveling by the rabbit holes that acted very much like a worm hole by his reckoning. Jack always felt stretched out and disoriented after emerging from a hole despite the initial feeling of confinement, and he did not think it left him in the best fighting shape for half a minute or more. However, Bunny did make an unassailable point: Creak moved fast. If the creature used an immaterial form to get into and out of houses, then it rendered ineffective Bunny's ability to almost instantly travel to physical places. It required teamwork.

“Oh... all right,” Jack grudgingly agreed. “But you don't get to enjoy how much I don't like this.”

“Wanna bet?” Bunny asked with a sly grin on his face.

The Pooka tapped the ground twice with his large foot. To his left a spiraling hole opened. Children ran across it as if it did not exist, again the rules of being abroad in daylight overruled the physics of the rabbit holes for mortals. Without waiting for another argument, Bunny jumped into the hole and disappeared into the dark maw. Jack held his breath and followed.

The wave of nausea struck Jack and got worse with the confined, tight sensation. Even though it boasted smooth walls, Jack could not get over the notion rock surrounded him. They zipped along the tunnel, spiraling several times in a cork-screw fashion that added to the intestinal discomfort. Granted, Jack did acrobatics in the air all the time, but never underground in such a narrow space. It made his head real. Then they also traveled at a rather fantastic speed. While Nick's portals twisted a person into pretzel, this only gave the sensation of being twisted while traveling in straight lines. It made Jack feel woozy when he finally burst into the main chamber of The Warren.

“See? Easy-peasy,” Bunny told him, although Jack detected a sarcastic undercurrent.

“I think I need a bucket,” Jack muttered his suggestion that veiled a not-too-improbable threat of vomit.

“Do it, and you clean it up.”

That statement encouraged Jack to keep his stomach in check. Instead he focused on the vista before him. The Warren, a cave so large it belittle the word cave, opened around him. High above their heads unusual pods glowed with a warm, yellow light. Beneath his bare feet grass tickled his toes. A spectacular array of flowers bloomed across the broad expanse of the Warren. Trees grew in various places, all seemingly natural. Somewhere off in the distance the sound of water gently falling off a rock ledge and splashing into a pool could be heard. Insects, mostly bees and butterflies and dragonflies, zoomed through the air. The ground of the Warren rose and fell according to the hummocks and pillars of moss-covered stone, and pathways lined the small valleys.

“I forgot how beautiful it is in here,” Jack quietly said as he breathed in the air heavy with the fragrance of flowers and grass. It made him feel fresh and revived.

“It's where spring lives all the time, mate,” Bunny rejoined. He sounded pleased and very much at home. “Come on. We've got some planning to do.”

The immortal Pooka began walking toward one side. Jack remembered a complex of adjoining caves, each serving a specific purpose used in the build-up to Easter, formed the Warren, including the tunnel system. He searched through his memories to recall the layout. The North Pole castle tended to be the unofficial headquarters of the Guardians. Moreover, the clever yeti, who Jack believed more than ever did not originate on Earth, designed, built, installed, enhanced, and basically maintained the unique systems used by the group. As a result, the native homes of the other Guardians tended to be more private. Jack visited the Warren on few occasions. He went to see Toothania from time to time in her Tooth Palace. He privately admitted to not knowing exactly where the Sandman lived, but he heard it to be an island made of a crashed star. Thus, his knowledge of the Warren proved sparse at best.

Bunny led him along the paths. Jack absentmindedly began to hum a song that popped unbidden into his brain. The giant rabbit stopped, spun around, and glared at him.

“What?” Jack innocently inquired.

“That song only gets played at a particular time of year. You don't know what it can do in this place,” Bunnymund warned him in a stern manner.

“I wasn't singing any song,” the Spirit of Fun tersely replied.

Bunny eyed him for a full minute. Then he seemed to relax a bit. In still rather controlled voice he asked: “You really didn't know you were humming a song?”

“No,” Jack defended his innocence. “I... I don't even know... I just feel pretty good.”

“Right. Just... be careful with what you sing... or hum. Got it?”

“Why?”

“Look down.”

Jack looked down and then behind him. His feet nestled in small tufts of thick grass. In his traveling wake, his footprints also bloomed with greenery. He reached out a hand and very gingerly let his senses expand. Potent and powerful magic flowed around him, simultaneously familiar and foreign. It dawned on him the Warren served as the wellspring of Bunnymund's power. The magic felt timeless and as old as the magic in the North Pole. Jack felt foolish for failing to account for what the Warren symbolized and how it aided the Pooka.

“Bunny, I'm sorry. I'll watch what I do,” Jack swore.

“You'd better or else you'll end up a sentinel,” and Bunny glanced around.

Jack followed along. The Sentinel Eggs, humongous stone eggs with intricate carvings and vague face-like designs, stood all around the Warren. They guarded the Warren and acted as a first line of defense. Jack saw the sentinels in action once, and he respected what they could do. With spring in full force in half the world, the winter Guardian suspected he might fare poorly should he encounter stony eggs at the height of their abilities. The last part of Bunny's statement struck him as odd.

“Wait,” Jack barked. “Are you saying those used to be... people?”

“Nah, not people. Humans make for lousy sentinels,” the Pooka told him. “Those are old foes who tried to attack the Warren. They now serve what they tried to destroy. The Warren has a funny way of defending itself, if you take my drift.”

Jack voicelessly nodded his head. Memories of Nick telling him once that Bunnymund suffered a loss greater than any of the other Guardians came to the fore. The Warren, he recalled, harbored something of Spirit of Hope's people. Nick never went into great detail stating Jack needed to get the Pooka to tell him the full tale. It seemed expedient to take great caution when within the Warren, and Bunny's comment only added to the notion.

“Um, yes, I do,” Jack half-whispered as he retracted his senses to their normal dimensions.

Bunny looked him up and down for a few moments before inquiring: “You don't really have a home, do you?”

“I have Burgess.”

“You bloody well can't claim an entire town as your home.”

“Hold on one second,” Jack protested. “Look at the size of this place. Burgess could fit in here, and you call this your home!”

“Well, that is as may be, but this is different. I'm the only who lives here,” the giant rabbit parried. “Burgess is filled with people. I'm talking about a home where you live. Where you put your feet up and take a breather. You know, kip back for a bit.”

“The house where I was born doesn't exist anymore. Sometimes I go there and look at the clearing where it stood. I go to the pond where... where all this got started for me,” the youngest of the Guardians slowly explained.

Bunny walked up to him and placed a paw gently on his shoulder. Anger no longer suffused his fuzzy features, and a rather sympathetic look filled his visage. A silent something passed between them.

“Is this Halla place starting to feel like home to you?” His friend asked.

“Hiccup feels like home to me. He risked his life... his dragon for me standing up to Lord of Winter. He was willing to give everything up to save me. No one ever did that before,” said Jack who could not keep the emotion out of his voice.

“Yeah, sounds like home to me.”

Bunny squeezed his shoulder. Jack nodded. Then, without saying anything further, Bunny turned and started walking again. As they traversed the distance to their destination, Jack began to realize he faced a unique dilemma and Bunny indirectly pointed it out. The Man in in the Moon lifted him from the cold waters to give him a renewed life and a purpose in protecting the children of Earth. Jack also found friends and fellow warriors in the form of the Guardians. It all gave his life meaning and shape. However, his heart began to hover over a distant world. Halla did, indeed, begin to feel like home. Yet Jack knew it rested mostly in the form of Hiccup. He wondered if in time his sense of loyalty would switch. As he thought, he failed to pay attention to their path and bumped into Bunny when the Pooka halted.

“This is my home,” Bunny said with a touch of annoyance while Jack backed up a step. “This is where I feel safe. Everything I ever was... am is here. Don't play around. Got it?”

“Yes,” Jack readily agreed.

Bunny opened an oblong-shaped door with a triangular window of rippled glass filling the upper half. It shone green like grass on a spring morning. The silver handle, larger than any seen on any human dwelling, turned without a sound. They stepped inside. Jack scanned the open space into which they stepped. The walls, sand-colored and gleaming, all appeared to bow outward and gave the room a bowl-like appearance. He reached out touched a wall, and nearly gasped in surprised. It felt like glass to him. As he more closely examined it, he saw the walls were made of fused sand. The walls were literally a form of glass.

“This is amazing,” he breathed.

“Strong durable stuff that is,” Bunny remarked as he walked in and divested himself of his bandolier, boomerangs, and bracers. “Easy to clean, too.”

Bunny's home looked comfortable to Jack's eyes, except everything seemed a size larger than normal. Given the fact the completely furred Guardian stood nearly seven feet tall, it made sense. A wing-back chair sat in a corner with an ottoman just in front. Of all the furniture, it looked the most used. A stack of books four-feet high sat on one side, and a heap of books on the other. Jack never took Bunny for an avid reader, but it seemed he erred in that assessment. It took a moment before he saw the shelves formed into the walls. Some bore personnel mementos like pictures or interesting objects, yet many held books. Quite a number of the tomes looked very old. He turned to ask his friend a question.

“Cre-e-e-e-e-e-e-e! Cre-e-e-e-e-e-e-e!” A noise erupted into the air.

Much faster than could almost be believed, Bunny donned his equipment as Jack ran over. The Pooka fished out the alarm from a pocket in his bandolier. The lurid red glow throbbed in time with shrill sound that pierced the air. Bunny spun it around in his hands until he could read the destination.

“Gibraltar!”

Without waiting, Bunny thumped his foot twice on the ground. A swirling vortex opened. Jack quickly forgot his dislike of the mode of travel and jumped in right after rabbit. In less than ten minutes, he got assailed again by the utterly bizarre sensation of traveling underground without any visible sign of propulsion. However, he knew what to expect and focused his on what he had to do. The tripped ended in less than three seconds.

A small boy stood trembling on his bed clutching a blanket. A look of naked, raw terror seized his features. Jack followed his line of sight while Bunny ran over to comfort the child. He saw the two pulsing orbs orange and instantly shifted form. He saw a strangely thin arm slipping through the wall, and the Guardian sailed after it noting the very odd hand attached to it. He passed through the wall and saw a figure drifting away from the dwelling at a surprising clip. Jack added a burst of speed, and then got his first real look at the being called Creak. It paused, turned, and stared right at him. Jack stopped. They floated some thirty feet in the air nearly the same distance from the home of the terrified child.

“So, a Guardian,” it said in crackling, dry voice as though issued from a desert baked for eternity under an unforgiving sun. The words also curved around an accent Jack could not place, yet it seemed oddly familiar to him.

Creak looked like a stick figure covered over with stringy, lumpy muscle. A grayish-greenish flesh, more like molded parchment, covered the being. A head shaped like an acorn squash with a barely human face sat atop a neck too thin to support it. A paper towel tube came to mind as Jack tried to decide how to describe the body, except it lacked the sleek shape and bore odd knobby protrusions like a piece of tree trunk left too long to rot on the ground. The long, spindly arms waved about as though Creak swam in the air. The hands appeared as nothing more than knobs of clay with twigs extending outward to serve as fingers. One hand possessed seven fingers, while the other sported the more normal five digits. The legs and feet appeared to be inverted versions of the arms and hands. Jack's mind tried to reject the entire construction.

“What are you?” Jack heard himself ask before he could control his mouth.

“Guardian likes me not, does he?” Creak countered, and then laughed a hissing, scratching sound. “Little, young Guardian. Cold boy so new, so frail.”

Jack came to his senses and said: “You have to stop. You can't keep on terrorizing children like this!”

“Pulhu does as Pulhu needs. What Guardian says is nothing,” Creak said through the continued abrasive, dry laughter.

“We'll stop you... Pul...” Jack began to say.

Before he could blink, the creature zoomed right up to him. A hot, choking breath wafted from the jack-o-lantern styled mouth. It smelled like an old attic, sealed for decades, strewn with the desiccated bodies of dead mice and rats. The orange eyes, lightly pulsing and without irises, bore into his. Jack became nervous.

“Little Guardian,” Creak breathed, and the awful air emanating from its mouth stung Jack's nose. “So lonely all those years. So wanted to be seen.”

Quicker than lightning a long and scraggly finger traced down the left side Jack's face. It felt like a burn to him. He wanted to reach up and brush away the sensation, but Jack felt paralyzed while the eyes, if one could call the blobs of faint light eyes, held his. It became clear Creak did not fear him in the least.

“Far away have you been. Into the elsewhere. Oh, love for the little cold boy. And something other touched you, something needy,” Creak spoke without inflection or any sense of hurry. “Guardian touched by want. Ho! Little Guardian feels not alone!”

Creak threw its head back and laughed. It sounded as if someone with a hacking, unproductive cough tried to speak at the same time. It seemed to go on longer than necessary.

“Jack!” Bunny's voice issued from a window.

“Pooka! Oh, all alone little Pooka. So angry, so mean. Little Pooka who cries if no one sees. Pooka who is Guardian,” Creak intoned the words and that sounded sarcastic despite the unhurried, stilted delivery.

In a fit of desperation at the paralysis Creak seemed able to generate without effort, Jack began to call upon his frost magic. It started to build in his body, and he felt his skin tingle. He saw the frost form along the edges of his clothing as the energies poured into him. He started to raise his hands. Creak laughed the terrible laugh again.

“Try,” Creak seemed to beg him.

Jack unleashed the power. Streamers of white, flowing with the force of a gale, issued around him and flew toward Creak. The target never moved. Jack let his power surge and did his best to freeze Creak solid. Wind and ice danced in a focused torrent. After a few seconds, he stopped as the small reserve of power became exhausted. When the assaulted ended, a surreal snowman hovered in front of him. Creak then stepped out of the ice and snow, and the macabre blue-white figure fell to the ground. It crashed silently and formed a disfigured star where it landed. Creak laughed.

“Little Guardian of cold,” the being half-snarled the words. “The world Pulhu saw all covered in cold. Frozen, near dead. Pulhu went on, found the humans. Lived. Guardian cold is nothing.”

Creak opened its mouth wider, but no words came out. Instead a sound unlike anything Jack heard before wormed into his ears and into his brain. It began as high-pitched tinny whine, but rapidly transformed. It broke apart into indistinct pieces. For a moment it sounded as if all the cries of panic gathered together and took root in his mind. A fear lanced through him down to his toes. Memories of when he first saw Aita sprang up. Jack saw in his mind's eye the terrible dark hole of the Breathless one.

“Oh, so kurnugia is place little Guardian knows. Dark face in your thoughts. Remember, cold boy! Remember!”

Jack found himself under the ocean once again watching the last remnants of life swim toward the black void created by or perhaps part of Aita. Feelings of utter failure and hopelessness crashed through him. Jack felt powerless to stop the end of life. He remembered the dim, undulating patches of light swimming toward the void, and then passing through and entirely out of existence. The enormity of Aita took over his mind as he recalled the concepts pounded into his brain that nearly tore him to shreds. Reliving that moment robbed jack of his ability to act. In his periphery, he heard Creak laugh and laugh.

Pure, unadulterated terror welled up in Jack. It became visceral and more real than anything else in his existence. He wanted to scream. It seemed the only way to let out the horror consuming him. Everything around started to go dark. Absolute fear he might die for the last time started to take over. The blackness began to overcome the last of his sense.

“Hiccup,” Jack whispered and realized more than anything he would miss the love he felt from the Viking.

The blackness turned to gray.

A picture of the young man he treasured above even his own life came up in his mind. At the same time, he recalled the song of Aita and how he barely heard it because he wanted to tell Hiccup good-bye. Jack wanted one last chance to tell the dragon rider how much he loved him. It became his sole thought.

Through the smoky haze, he saw the dull orange spots. The face of Creak slowly resolved into focus. Jack, while still terrified beyond any reasonable means to describe it, became aware he hovered in the air and a foul creature hovered with him. In the back of his mind, Jack wondered how Hiccup would face an enemy of this magnitude. He knew the Viking faced powerful foes and paid terrible prices, but Hiccup never seemed to give up. Jack clung to that knowledge and the love it inspired in him.

The sound ended, and his senses stopped reeling.

“Ah, little Guardian fights,” Creak laughed. “Much fun with cold boy. Much fear to have.”

“I will fight you!” Jack hollered as the last of the terror ebbed from him.

Creak's horrid face leaned in closer and said: “Yes, fight, little Guardian. Fight and know no winning. Pulhu will take little Guardian's flyer, and little Guardian will know more fear than ever. No more little flyer!”

Jack raised his arms to wrap his hands around Creak's throat, but he passed through the being. The creature laughed again and started to drift upward. Jack flew to keep up with him. Just as he pulled even, Creak smiled at him, and it sent shivers down Jack's spine. Then Creak dissolved into vapor and the night breezes dissipated the creature. Jack hung in the air, stunned and more than worried at what transpired.

“JACK!” Bunny's voice boomed through night.

Jack flew down to the house. Bunny leaned out the window, his head thrashing left and right. The elemental Guardian assumed visible form, and remained floating outside the window.

“Where in bloody hell did you go?” His compatriot growled at him.

“I met him,” Jack said, but his voice barely rose above a whisper.

“Jack?”

“I don't know what he is, but... Bunny, he's... so strong.”

“Is that what you blasted up there?” Bunny inquired and sounded concerned. “I couldn't see you, but I saw your ice wind.”

“He walked right through it. He laughed. Creak just laughed at everything I threw at him,” Jack said while an involuntary shudder coursed through him. “He got into my head.”

“Crikes!”

“He called you the all alone Pooka. He knows about us, Bunny: the Guardians... and he isn't afraid.”

The enormous rabbit gaped at him. Jack simply stared back in return. He felt drained and empty. Moreover, the strange words of Creak began to ripple through his brain. He did not know what to make of them, but one thing seemed certain. He decided to share his thought.

“I think this is a battle only The Man in the Moon can win,” Jack confessed and did not like doing so one bit.

As one, they both looked upward. The moon hung little less than half full in the sky. Soon it would be the new moon, and The Man in the Moon would be at his weakest. No one needed to tell them the timing did not favor their chances. When they looked at one another again, the Spirit of Fun and the Spirit of Hope remained speechless. After a long while, Bunny nodded his head.

“North Pole?” Jack managed to force out of his mouth.

“Now!” Bunny commanded.

Jack entered the room while Bunny walked over to the child.

“You'll be fine now. It's gone. You just hang onto that egg and think of all the fun you'll have this summer,” Bunny told the boy.

The boy smiled. The sight of that caused something to snap in Jack, and relief flowed in his veins. He felt the last tendrils of Creak's power release him. Suddenly the room and the world around him appeared brighter. He smelled flowers and grass, and instinctively understood Bunnymund operated at full strength. Jack felt hope. He breathed it in to dispel the disturbing confrontation he had with the bringer of terror. However, the elemental man knew he would never, ever forget it.

Bunny walked back to him. The gray and white face looked stern, set, and determined. He nodded and tapped his large foot twice on the floor. In comparison to the face-off with Creak, Jack preferred traveling by rabbit hole. Compressed and stretched though it made him feel and roiled his stomach again, it paled against the terror the creature created in him. More than anything, Jack hated the feeling so helpless.

They did not appear in Nick's castle. Jack found himself in hot, humid environment. Tropical trees surrounded him. Confusion set in.

“We're getting Sandy first,” Bunny announced when he glanced back.

“How do you know he's here?” Jack asked as the confusion began to unravel.

“I didn't, but the rabbit hole always knows where all of you are.”

The Spirit of Fun nodded and shrugged, thinking it a useful feature.

Bunny lifted a hand, pointed to the sky and said: “Head up there and find out where he is.”

Jack complied without complaint. He sailed into the sky, crested the trees, and began to turn in a slow circle. Above him twilight continued to descend into evening. The youngest Guardian focused and searched for the tell-tale signs of the Sandman at work. Soon enough he saw a golden glow nestled a short distance away. Jack zoomed back to Bunny.

“This way,” he said and continued to fly toward the location.

The solid sound of Bunny's powerful feet hitting the ground let Jack know this friend moved with all due haste. It took less than a minute before they found the small, squat house. The open windows let in the cool night air, and one of them held the gentle shine of the oldest of the Guardians plying his trade. Bunny went into stealth mode and became so quiet it seemed as though the Pooka simply vanished. Jack assumed immaterial form and entered the house.

The Sandman wore a contented, pleased expression on his face as he sprinkled his magic dust over the sleeping figures. Of all the Guardians, his powers extended furthest since it included adults as well as children. Happy sighs escaped form the two people lying under a thin sheet. Sandy smiled, and even Jack felt the warmth of the expression. When occupants of the room appeared to slip deeper into contented sleep, the Sandman turned to face his colleague. A question mark appeared above his head.

“How did you...” Jack began to ask, but then gave up since few could take the little man by surprise. “Oh well, come on. We need to convene at the Pole. Now.”

Sandy frowned and the question mark appeared to wobble with irritation.

“We... I confronted Creak. I saw him, Sandy. He spoke to me and... he... did something... knows things.”

The Sandman's eyes grew wide and the question mark transformed into an exclamation point. The blonde-haired head nodded and the face looked concerned. Beneath his feet a cloud of dust started to form. It grew into a cloud until it lifted Sandy from the floor.

“Bunny is here with me. It's how we found you. The rabbit tunnel will be faster,” Jack suggested.

Sandy frowned again, but nodded. Jack found it smugly pleasing to see the Sandman did not show a fondness for the Pooka's mode of transport. However, both the oldest and the youngest of the Guardians moved with all haste to where Bunnymund waited outside the house.

“Hate to pull you away from your work, Sandy,” Bunny said with as much apology in his voice as Jack ever heard. “I reckon you know this a special circumstance.”

The Sandman nodded.

“The kid here looked stuffed after his go with that blighter, and usually he holds up better. This is dinky-di if you catch my drift.”

It did not happen often, but at times Bunny lapsed into colloquialisms so unique the meaning got garbled. This time, however, neither Jack nor Sandy made an issue of it. The Sandman continued to wear a grim set on his face, indicating he understood the seriousness of the situation. Jack simply wanted to dispense the information in his head while it remained fresh. Bunny glanced between the two, and the tapped his gigantic right foot on the ground. The rabbit hole opened.

“Toothania is next,” Bunny told them. “Then it's off to the Pole.”

Sandy nudged Jack with an elbow. Above his head a highly detailed depiction of Baby Tooth formed. Jack studied it for a moment and wondered what his friend meant. The idea sparked in his head. He stepped away from his fellow Guardians, holding his crook in both hands, and closed his eyes.

“Baby Tooth, if you can hear me, have Toothania meet us at Nick's right now. It's an emergency,” he whispered while concentrating on the image of Baby Tooth in his mind.

“It'd be...” Bunny began to say, but got cut short when Sandy elbowed him.

“Baby Tooth?” Jack whispered the name again and concentrated harder.

From what sounded like a long way off, a subtle but distinct cheep reverberated in his mind. Jack smiled. He did not fully understand his connection with the tiny tooth fairy, but time and again it proved helpful. In truth, Jack felt a deep affection for Baby Tooth and more than a little protective over her. It seemed the sentiment ran both ways.

“She heard. Toothania will meet us there,” he announced.

“Right,” Bunnymund said and stared at the rabbit hole. “To the North Pole then.”

He jumped in, Jack followed, and felt Sandy bump into him. Jack held out a hand, and a small but powerful one gripped his. Together they got sucked down the rabbit hole to their destination. The short journey gave Jack three seconds to consider what he would tell the other Guardians. Although he did not want to say it out loud, Creak now scared him more than ever. During his three hundred years of isolation, he never imagined such beings existed even though he knew about the Guardians. In the end and when they emerged from the transport tunnel, Jack realized three seconds could last too long on one hand, but not long enough on the other.


	6. Chapter 6

Toothless, looking gray and totally exhausted, fell asleep the moment Hiccup said they found a safe hiding spot. Hiccup sat and rubbed the tense muscles of the dragon that did not relax in slumber. Three days of relentless pursuit since leaving the helpful man drained both rider and dragon, but especially the dragon. Lacking both food and water did not help. Hiccup wondered how long they could continue to evade those pursuing them. Based on all he could remember of what Jack told him of Earth, the Viking felt certain getting caught to be the worst possible outcome. Thus, he sat ministering to his winged friend and thought.

“We can't keep this up,” he whispered, and the ragged sound of his voice caught Hiccup by surprise. He kneaded the twitching muscles of the dragon with greater force and elicited a pleased rumble from the creature. “Jack!”

Time and again Hiccup wished he could figure out a way to contact his mate. Night after night he begged the waning moon to send word to the Guardian, but moon only grew slimmer each day. Now it lay in near total darkness with only a slender wedge shining on. He wondered what The Man in the Moon did during the new moon phase that hid the orb unless one knew where to look in the sky. Looking up, however, only discouraged Hiccup. He did not recognize a single star pattern. It compounded his frustration. Without stars to guide him, Hiccup could not guess how much northern progress he and Toothless made. They could be flying in giant circles for all he knew. More than ever, he wanted Jack's calm presence and silent certainty by his side.

“Jack,” he sighed and closed his eyes, “please find us.”

“You know I don't have the best feelings toward lightning dragons,” Jack said to Hiccup a week before the translocation to Earth. “I've got the scars to prove it.”

“I don't like it much, either,” Isemaler said from where he hovered near the rafters. “Those spokelsedrakes are pretty mean. I hate running into them.”

“Where do they live?” Hiccup asked while casting a slightly annoyed look at the Hallan Isemaler.

Isemaler cocked his head and thought for a moment before saying: “Mostly I see them chasing storms. Did you ever meet the Thunder Queen, Jack?”

“A thunder queen? No, never ran into her,” Jack admitted.

“Big woman. Hard to miss if you do. Doesn't like it much when I fly through storms. That's when I saw the lightning tongues,” the native elemental man stated.

“Thursar H'rim wasn't too keen on me doing that to him, which is why I warned you...”

“And I listened!” 

The former Grimtooth Skovaks crossed his arms and looked petulant. The crook rested in his lap. In many ways, Hiccup thought the new Isemaler to be immature, but Jack defended the new elemental saying he possessed the right demeanor to engage with children. Hiccup could not argue that point. Although they shared many traits in common, Jack seemed more mature than Isemaler. The Viking attributed it to the work Jack did as a Guardian back on Earth. A childish mind would be forced to grow up when confronted with foes he learned resided on the distant planet.

In response, Jack simply cast Isemaler a long look.

“Harsvarrd was not my fault,” Isemaler quickly asserted.

“That was most definitely your fault, Isemaler, and don't ever start a snowball fight with the Varrdians again,” Hiccup jumped in before Jack could dismiss the incident.

In true Isemaler fashion, Isemaler lobbed a snowball at the head of a child's father in an attempt to stimulate play. Unfortunately, the head belonged to a sub-chieftain with a bad temper. That temper flared, and it led to the wrong child receiving blame. That child belonged to emissary of a different clan trying to reach a settlement with the Vicious Varrdians. One bad temper ignited another. As often happens when a Viking temper flares, it requires an outlet and found one with devastating outcomes. The Varrdians went on a series of raiding missions in the eastern end of the archipelago the likes of which only Dagur could appreciate. Even the Hairy Hooligans sent ships and men to help stem the attacks. When the full story finally got revealed, only four Berkians understood the cause.

“Just trying to have some fun,” the semi-transparent younger man mumbled.

Hiccup opened his mouth, but Jack placed a hand over it. The Viking frowned, and the Guardian in disguise smiled in return. The mellow brown eyes soothed Hiccup's tart tongue. On a regular basis Jack reminded Hiccup that Isemaler carried out his duty as expected. Jack's role since accepting Grimtooth as his replacement came in the form of mentor and teacher. During some of those sessions Hiccup witnessed, he came to appreciate the enormous skill Jack possessed. One thing became obvious: the Hallan Isemaler's power and ability to tap into the ambient field far outpaced Jack's ability.

“Isemaler, you know people died because of that?” Jack asked in a quiet.

“I know,” Isemaler heaved the words out in something akin to regret. “I didn't mean for anything like that to happen.”

“Would you ever start a snowball fight with the Manglers?” The fairly new Berk resident inquired

“No-o-o-o-o!”

Real fear laced the extended word. Noro the Sky Dancer told Jack the entire background story of Grimtooth Skovaks, and Jack shared it with Hiccup. Neither of them could fully imagine what the young man endured even in comparison to the Berkian civil war and effects of the spokelsedrake. The fact Grimtooth did not come back into the world filled with bitterness and rage spoke volumes for him, and his focus on protecting children could not be questioned. Moreover, his general sense of glee and joy proved infectious. Grimtooth, despite his mortal Hallan name, lived up the appellation of Spirit of Winter Joy.

Jack nodded and said: “You've learned an awful lot, Isemaler, in a short amount of time. Now it's just a matter of fine tuning that knowledge.”

“Do you miss it?” Isemaler inquired.

Hiccup looked on with stunned amazement at the audacity of the question.

“Sometimes, but... I've got other things to take my mind off it,” the Earth Isemaler said and glanced at the Viking with green eyes.

Hiccup could not stop the blush that came to his cheeks when Jack eyed him in that manner.

Isemaler flew down and hovered over the bed. He stared first at Hiccup and then at Jack. Then he repeated the scan. Several odd, quiet moments passed until he finally settled on Hiccup.

“Noro said you almost died trying to save him, going up against Thursar like that. Is that why you love him?” The new elemental man asked without any preamble.

“I did it because I love him,” Hiccup evenly and sincerely replied. “I'd do it again in a heartbeat.”

“Even though it didn't work?”

“Doesn't matter.”

“Did it hurt?” Isemaler asked Jack.

“What is your fascination with my death?” Jack countered and did not disguise his impatience.

“'Cause I don't want it to happen to me! One time was bad enough!”

The figure dressed in the Hallan version of Jack's Guardian uniform stared at his mentor with huge eyes. For nearly two months Isemaler asked increasingly personal questions, and sometimes grossly inappropriate ones in Hiccup's estimation. Hiccup preferred to avoid the training sessions and follow-up conversations. Isemaler, conversely, seemed to want Hiccup's input. As a result, the young elemental man learned highly personal details about the two, and it seemed to confuse him. Both Hiccup and Jack found it more disturbing that Isemaler felt completely free in sharing the gruesome details of his mortal demise. On more than one occasion they told him to stop talking.

“That must've been pockers for you, Jack,” Isemaler said in manner amounting to awe.

“Watch your language, Isemaler,” Valka said as she ascended the stairs.

Since the arrival of new Isemaler, the woman took up quarters in the dragons' cavern. While Hiccup and Jack tried to convince her to stay, she refused by saying they needed a private life together and place where they could teach Isemaler his craft. Most people thought it eminently logical she would take up residence with the dragons. However, both of the mortal young men missed her presence. Dressed in her riding and training attire, Valka looked every bit the senior dragon woman of Berk.

“Got the new straps?” Hiccup asked.

“Cut to length for the new saddle and Gobber just finished the buckles,” she told them.

“Lady Valka,” Isemaler said with an apology in his voice.

“So you're really going after skrill?” She inquired as she glanced back and forth from her son and his mate.

“Not a good idea,” Isemaler said before any could answer.

“It's a perfect idea,” Hiccup testily rejoined as he took the new riding straps from his mother. “I figure a skrill could keep the spokelsedrakes away. You know: fighting fire with fire?”

“It makes sense,” Jack added, but did not sound entirely convinced.

Hiccup watched his mother study the mortal side of Jack. Dressed in deep green wool pants, a tan shirt made of hammered flax, and sturdy leather boots pulled up to the calves, he did not resemble his other self at all. Of course, Hiccup privately admitted, the lack of white hair and blue eyes also distanced Jack from his Guardian side. Over the preceding months, Hiccup came to prefer the mortal aspect of his mate. The Viking found the gentle and slender young man very alluring.

“They are tamable, Jack,” Valka said in a reassuring manner. “Ask Moat; she rides one and loves it to death.”

Once again the Berkian tradition of bad childhood names reared its ugly head. in Hiccup's opinion anyone who would name their daughter Moat needed to have their heads slapped. He adamantly refused to call the woman by the name and referred to her as Mo instead. Many other followed his lead.

“And right useful for keeping water dragons away from the ships. Plus, it's one of the few that can keep up with a night fury, so there's that to consider,” his mother continued.

“Good point,” Jack murmured and nodded his head.

In their efforts to decide what kind of dragon Jack should tame, the fact it would have to keep pace with a night fury became a salient issue. Thus, it limited the field to three dragons at the start, and the skrill became the second choice. Their first attempt to wrangle a dragon for Jack, a snow wraith because it seemed like a logical extension of the Guardian, ended in near-disaster. Were it not for the presence of Isemaler, and that seemed a contradiction in Hiccup's mind, death became a serious possibility. Using its usual tactics, the snow wraith took them by stealth and surprise. It trapped them between a frozen cliff and a huge snow dune. Of the three, Hiccup faced the greatest danger. Reason dictated Jack would turn to his emergency use of the Guardian form in the direst of circumstances, but that would do little to save Hiccup. Hence, when the snow wraith struck, only Isemaler's fast reactions and control over winter power allowed them to escape mostly intact. In the end, the skrill got moved ahead of the woolly howl on the investigation schedule.

“What about that thing the Heather lady rides? That looks fast,” Isemaler suggested.

“And it conducts lightning and we don't know where it lives. Heather found Windshear in a wounded condition and nursed her back to health. Even she doesn't know where it came from,” Hiccup enlightened the young elemental man. “Now, if you can find Heather and ask her if she wants to help...”

“I can do that!” Isemaler said loudly and with enthusiasm.

Before anyone could say another word, he shot upward through the ceiling and out of sight.

“Impulse control,” Jack mumbled.

“He is young, Jack, and just getting started. You had three hundred years to come to terms with your powers,” Valka reminded the two remaining young men.

No matter how many times he heard the truth, Hiccup simply could not accept Jack already lived for three hundred years. Since they first met, the Viking assumed the young Guardian to be no more than twenty-years old. Furthermore, Jack acted young. He seemed to possess a young mind that quickly grasped new concepts and ideas. He appeared filled with the energy and vitality of youth. While focused and serious at times, Jack always stood ready with a joke or some humorous take on any situation. Nothing about the elemental young man gave away his true age. Another thought intercepted the other and made it to the mortal's mouth first.

“I don't get why Isemaler is more powerful than you if you've been around for so long,” Hiccup openly pondered and not for the first time.

“Hiccup, I've told you before: he's native born,” Jack replied.

“Why would that make any difference?”

“It's quantum.”

“No, don't start talking about that again. It makes my brain hurt,” the Viking railed. “Find some other way to explain it.”

The Guardian paused and stared at the son and mother. Hiccup kept his mouth shut despite the dozens of questions springing up in his mind. His mother simply stood and waited without any sign of impatience.

“Remember I told you about the T'Lecquatal down in the southern oceans? Where they never experience winter?” Jack began.

“Why would you even go there?” Hiccup half-moaned as he remembered the descriptions of the exotic, jungle-dwelling people.

“My job, remember?” His mate dryly reminded him, and continued in his normal tone. “Let's say I flew you down there and dropped you off... without a dragon or a boat or anyway to get back to Berk. How well would you fit in?”

“It'd be hard.”

“Let's say you lived there for ten years, would you become a part of their tribe?”

“I don't know. Maybe, I guess,” answered the Viking with a shrug.

“No, I mean, would you ever become a real part of them? Could you do what they do, speak like they speak, act... survive in the jungles like they can?” Jack relentlessly pursued the questions.

“I think with practice I'd get pretty good. I'm not an idiot.”

Hiccup saw his mother's mouth twitch and her eyes begin to gleam. All his life Hiccup wondered how he ended up so scrawny for a Viking, especially given a father who people purposefully called vast, and then he found her. From the moment he learned she gave birth to him, many questions about Hiccup's life – the way he acted and looked and thought – suddenly made complete sense. It explained so much his father never could. He glanced back at Jack who stood watching him with one of his serious expressions.

“Not perfect, no,” Hiccup admitted. “I didn't grow up there, and... oh, I get it. Native. You're not from around here, so this is all strange to you and you don't quite fit in.”

“Something like that. The energies here are similar but not the same as what I use on Earth. I don't have full control over them and never will. I'm not completely compatible with it,” Jack finished his explanation.

“It'd be like a hotburple trying to live like a scauldron,” Valka mused in a quiet tone.

“Mom,” Hiccup semi-chastised her.

“That's actually a pretty good analogy,” Jack intervened when Valka began to open her mouth. “They're both dragons. They both use heat indirectly instead of open flame...”

“Yes. Alright, I get it,” the Viking said before his mate began a litany that would not end until he exhausted the thought chain.

“Isemaler will always be more powerful than me here because this is his home. This is where he was born, lived, di... became Isemaler. He doesn't have to think about the power: he simply knows it like he understands breathing,” Jack continued regardless of Hiccup's attempt to cut him off. “Besides, if he went to Earth, the situation would be reversed. I'd be in full power, and he'd feel very weak.”

“Would you be as obnoxious as him if you were at full strength?” Hiccup asked and grinned.

“Worse. You'd hardly know me back on Earth.”

“Oh, I seriously doubt that.”

The two gazed at one another, and both their faces turned a subtle shade of pink. After a few seconds, Valka coughed. They snapped back to situation at hand.

“Do you need me to leave?” She inquired and smirked.

“No,” Hiccup replied and his faced blossomed scarlet.

Valka leaned against the wall, folded her arms across her chest, chuckled a little and asked: “Is Isemaler going with you on this expedition?”

“Not if I can help it,” her son immediately stated as he pulled against the straps to test the linear strength, and the leather squeaked in response.

Jack, who began busying himself with packing once the senior dragon woman made gentle fun of the young men's open affection, grabbed one of his favorite shirts from the chest of drawers. He stuffed into his pack. Upon hearing Hiccup's response, he slowly shook his head.

“He'll find us, Hiccup. He always does,” Jack said with a trace of sarcasm on his voice.

“It's because he's one of you, isn't it?”

Jack nodded and rejoined: “And he's uncertain and scared to death half the time and needs reassurance he's not just some freak of nature and has a real purpose.”

“Is that what you felt like at the start?” Valka softly queried.

“Not at first, but I did... especially when I realized no one could see or hear me,” he told them as he picked and folded another shirt. Jack stared into the depths of his pack as he remembered and spoke: “I didn't see or talk to any of the Guardians for about the first thirty or forty years. It was pretty lonely back then.”

“Like it was when you first got here?” Hiccup rhetorically questioned.

“No, nothing like when I got here.”

Both Hiccup and Valka looked on with curiosity because neither ever heard him fully explain what he faced on arrival. It came out in bits and pieces. Hiccup wanted to learn more about what he mate survived.

“When I got here, I figured out pretty quick this wasn't Earth. When I found children and realized they couldn't interact with me, I knew what to do. I knew how to get them to believe in me,” Jack said and looked up. “I remember the first time someone heard me... and it wasn't even a child.”

“Who?” Hiccup and Valka asked in unison.

“You, Hiccup. You were investigating an island and talking to Toothless...”

The dragon rumbled upon hearing his name.

“And you asked if something was wrong with you, and I said the word nothing. You heard me.”

“I remember that,” Hiccup whispered as the memory surged to the fore of his mind. “That really unnerved me ‘cause I thought it was just me and Toothless on that island.”

“Why could he hear you?” Valka asked the obvious question.

“I don't know. I thought about it over and over and I still can't find a good reason. Children had only just begun to react to me when I did things around them, so I didn't have any power to become visible in front of Hiccup. You think I'm weak now, you should've seen me then,” the immortal in disguise said and the question lingered in his words.

“I think it's because I was feeling alone and trying to sort out my life. I was looking for an answer anywhere... even from the gods,” Hiccup formulated a theory.

“That's a good a reason as any,” Jack said with a nod of his head.

“Destiny,” Valka mumbled.

Hiccup and Jack looked at one another with skepticism.

“Why not?” The Viking's mother protested. “You were both lonely and looking for someone to just recognize who and what you are. Life was scary for both of you, and fate found a way to give you hope.”

“Lady Valka...” Jack began.

“Oh, stop it with that lady non-sense. I don't call you Lord Jack, and you deserve it probably more than most,” the woman interrupted. “I'm not saying your meeting happened by design, but there are reasons why you found each other. Maybe nature just knows when two things need to come together so the world can move on, like when Hiccup shot Toothless out of the sky.”

“Like when Cloudjumper pulled you out of Berk?” Hiccup suggested without any hint of derision.

“Exactly!”

“So you think my getting pulled through a blue troll vortex was nature lining me up for something... else?” Jack inquired, but he remained skeptical.

Valka eyed him for a second and answered: “You like to go on about the chances of something happening, so let me ask you this: what are the chances you would end up on a world where your particular abilities were needed, where a young man needed someone to love, where you could live out a life denied to you the first time, and where you two could find these things in each other? Tell me what those chances are?”

Jack thought about it, and his eyes grew progressively wider. Hiccup knew better than to argue with his mother when he spoke in that manner. It seemed she thought about it and could not find a reasonable explanation. The Viking waited to see if the Guardian could provide one.

“It's... ah... remote,” Jack said, pausing between each word. Then he straightened up, stared her right in the eye and stated: “A man on my world once wrote: ‘When you rule out the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.”

“Meaning?” Hiccup queried before his mother could react.

“Meaning I have no idea,” the Guardian said and grinned, “but I am glad the improbable did happen. This has been one hell of an adventure!”

“The best,” the Viking agreed and smirked. “Way better than when Dagur or Alvin show up.”

“And I don't even know who they are, and I agree with you!”

“Ugh!” Valka huffed in good-natured exasperation.

On Earth Hiccup felt the tears slide down his cheeks. Hungry, scared, and tired made him long for the point just ten days in the past when the skrill presented the nastiest, current problem for him. He could deal with an angry, deadly dragon. He could handle the powerful but naive being that took over the role of Isemaler on his world. The new Isemaler always added an unpredictable element to every situation, and that did not truly bother him. Even confronted with Jack making his monthly transition at the worst possible moment hardly seemed an issue in comparison. Most of all, Hiccup wanted to hear Jack exhort him to use his mind to figure out a solution. Were the Guardian present, he felt any challenge could be met and conquered.

Then he felt a strange sensation on his cheek like a thin, old pencil being drawn down it. Hiccup swung his head from side to side. He saw nothing.

“Little flyer weeps for cold boy,” a dry, scratchy voice crawled through the air toward him.

Hiccup's head aimed toward it as a chill feeling shot down his spine, and not a one he welcomed. After a few seconds, he saw the two barely visible orange shapes hovering two yards away. A vague outline of a misshapen head contained the dully throbbing spots of color. Whereas Jack in a semi-transparent form now seemed normal to him, this apparition appeared sickly and wrong. Despite the sense of threat he felt, Hiccup noticed Toothless did not stir.

“Cold boy does not find little flying boy? Why is cold one forgetting?”

“What are you?” Hiccup whispered in shock.

“So alone, so tired. Little flyer cannot escape,” the voice nearly laughed the words. “Flying boy not like others here. So different, so alone. So not like them.”

“Go away,” the Viking demanded. “I've got more to deal with than you.”

“No fear for Pulhu?” The thing asked and sounded a bit stunned.

“You're just one more crazy thing on this insane world. Besides, I've seen a lot worse than you... whatever you are.”

“Oh, Pulhu knows. Little flyer saw darkness with cold boy. Saw the round man of light, saw old one who eats death.”

“How did you...”

“Saw cold boy die,” the creature hissed and cackled.

In that instant, Hiccup knew fear. He recalled how helpless he felt as Jack lay dying in his lap despite the efforts to save the Guardian. He remembered how life felt empty and worthless with the absence of the elemental young man. A deep dread that Hiccup failed Jack in the same manner he failed his father rose up in his mind. Horror knotted in his gut.

“Yes, little flying boy seen death... caused death... did not stop death!”

“Leave me alone!” Hiccup yelled as a crushing wave of fear swept over him.

“Black flying lizard dying,” the thing said, revealing the Viking's worst fear, “and little flyer sees it.”

“No! No!”

Hiccup jumped up and began to swing his arms regardless of the pain the motion caused in his right one. The laugh of the monster filled his ears. It sounded to him like a dead tree trunk cracking and falling the ground. The hollow, mocking trill ate away at his confidence when he began to contemplate Toothless might be in danger. He looked at the motionless dragon. Hiccup waited to see if the chest rose and fell. It brought to mind a similar scene when a white-haired young man no longer breathed. Hiccup began panic.

“Toothless! Toothless!” Hiccup yelled.

“Black lizard gone. Little flyer all alone. Most alone!”

“No! Toothless!” The Viking shrieked as the voice and hoarse laugh ate into his mind.

In the midst of his terror, a brilliant hot light stabbed into his eyes. Hiccup yelled and fell backward. The laughter faded, but a new sound emerged. Feet stomped on the ground. Toothless groggily reacted, but the exhausted dragon did nothing. Voices rose up. The white light burned into his face. Slowly the world resolved around him into a new picture. A different fear took center stage in his breast.

People, mostly like men, dressed in black carrying strange metal tubes stood around him and Toothless. One person held the incredibly powerful light steady. Hiccup winced and tried to look away, but discovered more people. They roughly seized his arms before he could step away. Toothless began to growl, but the dragon sounded spent. More fear filled Hiccup when he watched a net get thrown over his cherished winged companion, and Toothless barely protested. The days of fleeing and hiding took too much of a toll. Men shouted at Hiccup in languages he did not understand. He swung his head around, struggled against the strong grip of his captors. Light burned into his eyes.

Then the world went dark as black fabric covered over Hiccup's head.

Jack sat on the lip of a precipice located on the western face of Denali. Daylight already exceeded nighttime since the vernal equinox passed. However the altitude and location of the mountain meant a more or less perpetual winter existed above the tree line. Jack soaked in the cold as he contemplated the facts gathered over the past two days. The Guardians, realizing Creak might be more than a physical match for them individually after hearing Jack's report, plied their collective intelligence once again

“There is a pattern to what he does,” Toothania said the night before while flying around the globe in the great central chamber of the fortress at the North Pole. “Tanaloo, please show all the attacks we know Creak committed.”

The yeti stood at the control panel of the locator globe. Her large, hairy fingers punched expertly at the keys. After a few moments, red lights lit up while all the others went dark. Jack stared at the array trying to guess what Toothania saw. The other Guardians did the same.

“Can't you see it?” The Spirit of Memories asked, sounding perplexed as her wings blurred and buzzed to keep her aloft.

After half a minute of continued silence, she huffed in frustration, and said: “Look at where the attacks take place. Creak sticks to out-of-the way places... usually impoverished villages. He singles out the children who are already afraid of something and capitalizes on it!”

Jack, and his compatriots, knew world geography better than most due to their vocations. His ice-blue eyes scanned the globe, and he gradually connected the dots. Toothania, he realized, made an important discovery. It seemed so obvious once it got pointed out.

“But he's not nervous about populated areas. Look at what he's done in India and Mexico City,” Nick commented while staring through his eyebrows at the globe.

“And the bugger moves fast,” Bunny angrily grunted. “Two... three... four attacks a night all over the place. We've got to figure out how he gets around.”

“Jack, you said he knew what scared you?” Nick inquired.

“After he touched me. Before that he just made general statements... like he watched me... but it wasn't specific,” replied the youngest Guardian. “Once he touched my face, Creak knew things: personal facts. He knows I've been on Halla.” 

“This isn't good. If he can get into our heads, he can use our own memories against us,” Toothania, an expert on all aspects of memory, said in a grave tone. “Didn't you say he made you relive what you felt when you first faced... death... on Halla?”

Jack nodded, but kept his mouth closed. He sensed giving voice to the remembered dread would only give it greater strength. It did not appear to matter that intellectually he understood the events on Halla surrounding the Breathless One: the impact of that first encounter would never leave him. The Spirit of Fun hoped it did not mean he now possessed a permanent mental weakness.

Sandy flew up next to Toothania on small cloud of dream sand. Above his head a bas-relief of Hiccup's head emerged. A pang echoed through Jack's chest when he saw the face.

“Yeah, thinking of Hiccup seemed to break his hold on me,” Jack concurred with the unspoken assertion of the Sandman.

“Because he does not know or understand love,” Nick said in a somber but vaguely pleased tone. “Only fear, terror rests in his heart... if he even has a heart. This is good, my friends. It gives us a way to defend ourselves.”

Jack saw a fierce and sad expression cross over Bunnymund's features. No one missed it. Nick placed a hand Bunny's shoulders.

“With love comes sadness and pain at times,” the large man said and glanced around. Nick appeared to have an endless supply of white shirts, red pants, and black boots since he routinely favored that manner of dress, Jack thought during the pause. “All of us know this now that Jack found it for himself. Perhaps this why Man in the Moon let you stay there. Perhaps this is an important lesson for you, no?”

“Makes sense,” Jack hesitantly agreed.

“There was my Martha,” Nicholas Saint North quietly said.

“My mother and father,” Toothania murmured.

“Umphmirpha,” Tanaloo's muffled voice rose.

“My people,” Bunny ground out the words.

They all looked up at the Sandman. The form of a young woman in a flowing gown with a radiant face gazed back from the golden sand. Sandy sighed.

“Her?” Bunny asked in an incredulous manner.

Sandy glanced up with a sorrowful expression on his features. Jack could all but feel the emotion. Bunny appeared a bit abashed for his outburst.

“We, all of us, know what it is to have and loose it...”

“Except the kid. He's still wobbly over his flying man...”

“Wait? What? What did you say?” Jack interjected and trace of the panic Creak created in him sprang to life.

“Your dragon rider, Hiccup,” Bunny rumbled.

“Flying man... little Guardian... little flyer,” the elemental young man said in a far-away manner. Pieces started to click together in Jack's head. He cast a glance at his colleagues and asked: “Do you think it's possible Creak's been to Halla?”

“Possible, but unlikely,” Nick said after thinking about it for a moment. “Even we can't figure out how you really got there, so how would he know? Why does this come up?”

“Creak threatened Hiccup,” Jack said with nervous certainty.

The other Guardians started throwing questions at him at a furious pace. Jack halted the barrage and quoted as exactly as he could all Creak said during their initial meeting, and finally said the name he wanted nothing more than to forget. The odd word did not roll but rather spilled out.

“Pulhu?” Toothania repeated and stared off into the distance.

“He said he'd take Hiccup? How? He'd either have to go to that world or manage to drag him hear. Doesn't make sense,” Bunny speculated.

“Da, very true,” Nick agreed. “And sounded like he would kill him, but Creak is not known for killing.”

“He feeds off fear, not death,” Toothania added her thought when she got done repeating the name. “No one messes with Death's territory.”

“No kidding,” Jack mumbled.

“This is not making much sense. If Creak does not kill and can't get to the other world, then why make the threat?” The informal leader of the group pondered aloud.

“Maybe he just had a go at Jack after reading his thoughts. You know: trying to conjure up more fear,” Bunny suggested as he toyed with one of his boomerangs. It appeared an unconscious habit whenever he engaged in serious thinking.

“I don't think so,” Jack countered. “Creak said no more little flyer. That's pretty specific!”

“Don't fret, Jack. Your Hiccup is a world away, safe from Creak. This sounds more like Creak wants to put real fear into you. I think Bunny has the right of it,” Nick retorted, but he did not sound entirely confident.

Jack eyed Nick while the man spoke. Despite the logic of the statements, the winter Guardian could not shake the notion Creak intended to exterminate Hiccup. Yet he could not figure out how. It seemed impossible given that Hiccup sat safely on Halla watching over Jack's incorporeal form. He shifted his gaze to Sandy, and the small man with incredible powers shrugged his shoulders. A question mark formed over his head.

“What?” Jack questioned.

A blue troll appeared above Sandy's head. Then a vague approximation of Creak formed. They all watched as a scenario formed whereby Creak experienced the same method of transport as Jack. The troll vortex opened, the troll and Creak fell into it, except Creak got separated. Then it stopped. Sandy regarded Jack with an expectant visage.

“I just appeared in a dark sky and started to fall. I couldn't fly, and fortunately I landed on an island,” Jack repeated what he told them in the past. “It took a couple of days before I got the hang of it again. The energies on Halla are different than ours. Trying to use my powers there is like trying to hold a glass rod with silk mittens on.”

“But what about after you... the unpleasantness?” Toothania cautiously asked.

“Sure, it got easier, but it still isn't quite right. Isemaler, the new one, is as powerful there as I am here. He doesn't really know how to control it yet, but it doesn't take anything for him to tap into the energy flow. I still work at it,” he explained.

The others silently nodded.

“So even if Creak did get to Halla, he'd have the same problems as me, and I can't imagine anyone there lending him any power.”

“Did you meet all of the forces there?” Bunny inquired.

Jack opened his mouth, thought for a second, closed it, and shook his head.

“Then you don't know.”

“No,” Jack grumpily agreed with the Pooka. Then a new, better thought entered his mind. “But Creak needs fear to live, just like I need belief to be seen. I could barely interact with anyone when I first got there. It took me weeks before I created enough belief...”

“And Creak is a master of fear just like you're the master of fun,” Toothania cut into his reasoning with strong argument. “Don't forget you said he's been around for a long time.”

“At least since the last ice age by what he told you,” Bunny joined into the argument.

“This thing could be a hundred thousand years old,” Nick mumbled in his concerned voice. “And you also said he looked for people...”

“Meaning he lived somewhere in northern hemisphere and possibly got created here,” the Tooth Fairy concluded.

“Which also means he's good at surviving, so he'd know how to keep himself going if he got to Halla,” Jack summarize as dread got added to his emotional mix.

“Don't be disheartened, Jack. We know more about him now, and the more we know means we get closer to defeating him. This Creak wanted to scare you, da? Yes, so he pulls thoughts from your head and finds out what is most important to you. This he uses against you to create fear. Don't let him control you like this.”

The voice of Santa Claus laying out solid logic did hearten Jack. After that meeting, the Spirit of Fun sailed off into the evening to perform his duty. Taking action against the forces that would ill use children reminded him he could and would act. Jack held firm to the fact he served as a Guardian and got chosen by The Man in the Moon for that purpose. By the morning after that night, the boogies of Kamchatka got a reminder that cold environs did serve as a safe haven for them since Jack also loved frigid temperatures. However, his thoughts did not remain settled for long. Thus, he found himself sitting on the upper reaches of Denali watching the late sunset. The freezing winds whipped around his body, but did little to calm his mind.

“No,” he spoke quietly to the long rays of the last sunlight. “Creak meant more than that. He means to harm Hiccup, but... how? How can I stop him?”

A rustling sound, the sound of snowpack shifting, caught his attention. He slowly turned his head. From the very rock itself a strange figure emerged. A tall, angular, and gnarled form pulled itself together. In nearly all respects it looked human. The dark skin rippled and stretched over muscle in a manner not human, but very much alive. Long hair hung down from the sides the head and partially obscured the face. It started to gradually walk toward Jack, yet did not seem threatening. The closer it came, the more Jack realized the being stood well over twenty feet. Like Jack, it faced the west and looked at the glow on horizon. It pulled back the tendrils of moss-like hair, and then Jack understood with whom he shared the space.

“You're a Broken Nose,” he muttered to himself.

The giant tilted its head toward him. A lopsided, crooked smile took shape under the large nose partially flattened on one side and angled sharply to the left. Small, dark, intelligent eyes studied him. Jack marveled at the chance meeting. The various native tribes throughout North America used many different names to refer to the being, and the tales were both reverent and served as a warning against hubris. Mostly, Jack knew about them as spirits of medicine who came to the aid of people when called upon in a specific manner. That one would appear next to him seemed almost miraculous.

“Child of the Moon,” it said in a ponderous voice that, to Jack's ears, sounded a bit like an earthquake.

“I am,” Jack confirmed.

“Child of the cold,” it added.

“That, too, and you're one of the people of the land... of the mountains.”

“What the tiny people who used to live here called us is lost, but some in other parts named us hado'ih. I am Leiyís'axt if you need a name as your kind seems to do,” the being told him. “We are not mountains, but live here at times. I came to see the dying sky fire.”

“Me, too,” Jack replied. “I'm, uh, Jack.”

“Uh'Jact,” Leiyís'axt repeated in the sonorous voice. “Strange name.”

“It's just Jack, not uh jack.”

“Just Jact.”

Jack continued to sit while the hado'ih stood and both watched the rosy splay from the sun as it gradually recede to the horizon. Neither spoke nor did either seem discomfited by the quiet. Stars appeared in wild abundance overhead. The temperature dropped rapidly, and Jack felt more at home.

“You asked me a question, Jact,” Leiyís'axt said as the gaudy display began to vanish.

“I did?”

“You did, but I do not know who him is to you.”

“Oh, that. I was talking to myself,” Jack confessed while struggling to get the pronunciation of the name right in his head. “I didn't mean to disturb you, Leiyís'axt.”

Leiyís'axt held out his stony hands and looked down at them. The fingers flexed and bits of dust fell off. It walked closer to Jack, and then sat down five feet away. The ground shudder slightly as the hado'ih settled its weight.

“But who is him?” The titanic man inquired again.

“We call him Creak.”

“I do not know of Creak,” Leiyís'axt said in his rumbling manner.

“He called himself a different name, but I don't know anything about it. He called himself Pulhu,” the Spirit of Fun related.

It never dawned on Jack that he did not take fright of enormous being. A calming essence emanated from it, like a balm. Even when the giant, rather twisted face stared at him, it did not cause fear. Oddly, Jack felt safe simply being near the creature.

“That him,” Leiyís'axt remarked. “Haandé Akoolxéitl'axt. The one who is fear in the night.”

Jack wordlessly nodded at the apt summation.

“Jact would need to end all the people to send him back into the darkness. I would not let that happen.”

“I am a protector, Leiyís'axt. I'm a Guardian. I don't hurt people. I would never do that!” He retorted nearly in disgust.

“It did not seem like you would,” Leiyís'axt intoned, the basso profundo voice rolled like thunder and reminded Jack of Thursar H'rim. “Your Creak learns what makes you afraid, and then makes you afraid with it.”

“You got that right,” Jack replied and tried to keep sarcasm out of his tone.

Leiyís'axt leaned over toward him. In some respects it felt like an avalanche taking shape. Jack craned his head upward to keep eye contact with the Broken Nose. From underneath, a sense of raw power made Jack's skin prickle.

“Jact contends against Pulhu?” The hado'ih inquired.

“Yes. He terrifies children and threatened someone I love. Creak means to do Hiccup harm, and I have to stop that from happening.”

Despite not wanting to tell everything, Jack found he could not help himself. The energies radiating around him reduced his reluctance. He realized the hado'ih must be employing its own magical craft on him. Regardless, it still did not feel threatening.

“Pulhu does not harm. Pulhu cannot. It is not part of Pulhu's ways. Pulhu is the bringer of fear.”

“But he threatened Hiccup!” Jack half-yelled into the face of the being.

Leiyís'axt lowered his head even further and said; “I hear your fear, Jact. You give life to Pulhu with it. Pulhu cannot be stopped... but Pulhu can be denied.”

“Can't be stopped? Why?”

“He comes from those you protect. Pulhu is the idea of the people for what makes them afraid.”

The words from the Tome of Peril came roaring back into Jack's mind. The arcane descriptions made sudden sense. He stared in wonder at the hado'ih.

“We created him. He lives as long as we live. Creak is... us,” Jack barely spoke what now appeared so very obvious.

“Pulhu belongs to any who give him fear,” Leiyís'axt said.

“Nick said Creak doesn't know about love? Is that true?”

“Many things come from what the people call love. Sometimes fear. Pulhu did not come from love, so Pulhu cannot understand it.”

“Like the tupilaqs?”

“Unclean, half-dead things,” Leiyís'axt said with clear distaste. “The tupilaq were made to hurt, and they do not understand love. They cannot. It is not why they are made. Jact has seen tupilaq?”

“I fight them, too,” the Guardian said with a hint of pride.

“I do not know you, Jact. I do not know what you are, but you seem good to me,” Leiyís'axt stated as he sat up. “Tell me why you fight the tupilaq and fight Pulhu.”

Thus began another unique conversation in the annals of Jack's life. Jack felt certain the power of the Broken Nose acted on him, but he saw no reason to fight it. In many respects, it brought him a sense of peace to share his story again and the accompanying concerns. Leiyís'axt proved to be an excellent listener. The night passed over head as they spoke. Leiyís'axt asked a question here or there, stated he knew about the Guardians but did not know Jack joined their league, and found their general purpose interesting. At one point, the unbelievably large being – as tall as Thursar H'rim when assuming a human form but much wider and more powerfully built – began to hum while Jack explained what he could. The power flowing out from the hado'ih passed into and through the Guardian.

“So I guess I owe Pitch a debt of thanks for helping me to become a Guardian,” Jack said in summation, somewhat taken aback by his own statement regarding Pitch Black.

“I think Dís'ķáa made you as one, so do not give any thanks to dark dreamer,” Leiyís'axt replied. “I can tell you fought darkness before. Something else lies within you. I have not felt this before. It is a strangeness. It is... from mortal flesh.”

“I used to be mortal. Remember?”

Leiyís'axt turned his head a bit and Jack thought he caught a glimpse of annoyance. After a few moments, the giant man said: “Your flesh is no longer earthbound.”

The creature held out it hands as it did earlier in the evening, and stared at them while flexing the fingers. The odd skin undulated over the appendages, gleaming in the starlight. Only a thin sliver of the moon remained. The two sat and watched Leiyís'axt's hands for a while.

“When the Kanien'kehá'ka call me and I wear the face they need to see, sometimes I wear the flesh. When I leave them, the memory of the flesh stays in me. What I feel in you, Jact, is like that: it is a memory of the flesh... but a strange memory not yours. It is a touch of another's memory,” the hado'ih remarked and a small frown appeared on its visage.

Jack sat and thought of that for a moment. He racked his brain to see if he could find a possible cause of the Broken Nose's concern. Given he now lived two lives on two different worlds, he wondered if something from Halla stayed with him. After a few more seconds, the likely cause sprang to mind.

“In, ah, one of the places where I live, there're these... creatures called... flesh hungerers and one passed through me once when I was near a mortal,” he offered.

“And what is this flesh hungerer? It does not sound nice.”

“Do you, um, know about human... ah, lust?”

A deep, rumbling chuckle escaped from Leiyís'axt.

“So you do?”

“I understand now what is I feel in you. It is the trace of want, of need for another. It is a strong power that comes only from mortals, yet it remains with you who are not mortal. How is this?” Leiyís'axt said and thoughtfully asked.

“Half the time I live on another world called Halla. I got transported there by accident when I was fighting blue troll...”

“I've known of others who passed through those tears in what we know, Jact, but they never returned.”

It amazed Jack to learn his experience happened to others.

“The world is older than you, young Guardian,” Leiyís'axt quipped.

“How old are you then?” He blurted the question.

“Hmm,” the giant man hummed. “I remember before the time of the long snow and cold, and the people walked from where the sun sets to here where the sun rises. Few of the children of the people I knew remain. It is why I come here to see the fire descend to the place we once knew.”

Jack's brain did a fast calculation. If he sorted the words correctly, Leiyís'axt existed before the last ice age and traveled to North America with those who became the native people of the land. His mind heaved with exhaustion when trying to come to terms with the existing for that expanse of time.

“You are really, really old,” he whispered. “Older than Creak.”

“No, Pulhu lived even before me,” Leiyís'axt corrected him. “The people called my kind from the earth and sky to hold back ones like Pulhu, but Pulhu cannot be defeated. The others from the darkness come and go, but that one remains.”

“How old is... Pulhu?”

“When did the people first think of that one?”

Jack felt his mind stretch thin as he contemplated that possibility Creak might have existed for millions of years. The winds of Denali swept around them. The stars passed overhead. Jack began to feel very small in an ancient world he could barely conceive. However, his brain forced itself to accept the fact Creak could not be vanquished. Moreover, he believed again only The Man in the Moon could win such a fight. He glanced up at the faint edge of silver in the heavens.

“He can only be denied,” Jack mumbled the earlier words of the hado'ih at the start of the conversation.

“At times Pulhu is stronger, but he grows weaker the more the people learn about the world and the sky,” Leiyís'axt commented, but his words did not sound entirely directed at the young immortal sitting next to him. “This is why he seeks the young. They do not know how to deny him, and they breathe life into him with their fear.

“I do the same thing... but not with fear, not to scare them.”

“Maybe it is the work of you and your kind the children of the people use to deny Pulhu. Tell me this, Jact, are you less when a child no longer believes in you?”

“I...” and Jack paused before making a confession: “I never really thought about it. I don't think so. I just want them to grow up to be happy... even though it means they no longer believe in me. That's okay. That's the way it should be. I can live with that.”

Once again Leiyís'axt leaned and hovered over Jack like the side of an inverted mountain.

“And now you understand what Pulhu fears,” the ancient Broken Nose said in a pleased tone.


	7. Chapter 7

Of all the places on Earth, Norway reminded Jack the most of Halla. Thus, when the Creak alarm shrieked, he and Bunny made straight for the location. In the days following the talk with the Broken Nose, the normally antagonistic friends began working closely together. Despite whatever differences lay between them, Jack and Bunny always put their duty first. Seldom did Jack like to openly admit his admiration and respect for the Pooka's dedication and skill, but he would not deny himself the opportunity to work with the powerful Guardian. Thus, learning to travel by rabbit hole became part of Jack's normal life, regardless of how much he disliked it.

“Bodø!” Bunny yelled while Jack sailed down into the funnel-shaped opening.

He shot out of the other end as if propelled by an explosion. Jack, learning from past experienced, sailed up and out of the dwelling while Bunny dealt with the terrified child. The squat apartment complex did not present any form of barrier. He coursed through roof and immediately halted while turning back to scan the area. He saw the twin orange blobs emerge from the wall of the building. Jack flew down to confront the monster.

“We've figured you out, Pulhu!” He yelled as he dove, leading the way with his crook. Despite being an exact replica of the one residing on Halla, it did not yet feel entirely his. However, he pushed that thought out of mind when he drew parallel with the foe.

Creak coalesced into a more or less complete form. It pleased Jack to see a slightly stunned looked on the oddly swollen visage. The Guardian paused just of out arm's reach. The gray-green skin looked blotchy and irregular as it seemed to coruscate over whatever musculature lay under it. The fingers on the knobby hands flex involuntarily as if clutching at the air itself. The twig-like legs hung motionless from the grotesquely thin body. A sickening smirk opened on the face. For the first time, Jack noticed the same dull orange light lingered deep in the orifice.

“Little cold boy,” Creak dryly laughed at him. “So brave, so foolish.”

“I'm not afraid of you,” Jack quietly but confidently said, “and I will... deny you.”

Creak cocked his head back and stared at him.

“I know we can't kill you or really even harm you, but we can cut off your source of power.”

“Big world for five little Guardians to watch. Pulhu goes where Pulhu wishes,” Creak said in a conspicuously thoughtful manner.

The strange, spindly body floated in the air. It looked like a child's concept formed out of clay, sticks covered over with skin pulled from a moldy pudding. In the back of Jack's mind, he wondered if Creak's form got dictated by those the being sought to terrorize. The surreal nature of its body did not overtly frighten, but it became increasingly dreadful the longer one stared at it. Jack fought back his rising sense of ill-ease.

“Little frozen one tries to control itself.”

“I won't give you what you want,” Jack calmly said.

Nick advised that when confronting Creak, Jack should take a cool, analytical approach. The man called Santa Claus further recommended that each of them should think of the monster as a science project needing dissection. Jack thought it excellent advice, and at the moment he employed it. He looked at Creak with curiosity instead of fear. A strange sympathy for terrible being began to take shape in his mind.

“It's not your fault, is it? You didn't ask to be... this thing. It's how you find life. I understand that,” Jack said as a neutral state took command of his body and mind.

“Cold boy knows nothing,” Creak spat at him. “Guardian thinks he's clever. Not clever, not smart. Doesn't know.”

“What I know is we're getting better and better at finding you faster and faster. Soon we'll figure out how to find you right when you show up. There's no place on this world you can go where we can't follow,” said the elemental Guardian with complete confidence.

Creak's eyes narrowed. An outside observer would think the creature thought about the words. The Guardian hoped it would do just that.

“I know what you fear, Creak,” Jack whisper and forgot to use the ancient name. “I know what you need and why. It's not that different from what I need, except I'm not willing to terrorize people to get it. We will deny you.”

Creak scowled at the last phrase and said: “Pulhu knows what cold boy fears. Cold boy did not listen the first time. Little flying black lizard dies soon. Little flyer so afraid. Will always be afraid. Will die, too!”

“Unless you're going back and forth to Halla, you're words are meaningless, Pulhu. Your trick won't work.”

Once more with a speed that defied imagination, Creak flew up to Jack and hovered inches from his face. Jack did not bother to raise an ice defense since he knew it would not affect Creak. The two stared into the eyes of the other. Jack felt the pressure building in his chest and skull as the creature tried to evoke a fear response in him. He fell back on Nicholas' sage words and began to study Creak. The twisted form became a curiosity to him and the pressure started to recede.

“Pulhu sees how cold boy goes from there to here,” the monster hissed. “Goes from here to there. Happens through round light man. Other cold boy did something wrong. Gave too much power to this one...”

“Jack?” Bunny's voice rang out through the night.

“Got him!” Jack returned the summons. “Told him already.”

“Now what?”

“Just hearing what he has to say and learning more than he realizes!”

“Not so clever is the cold boy,” Creak laughed his scratchy laugh. “Too stupid to find out. Hears but no listening is done.”

“You know you really don't scare me anymore?” Jack rhetorically asked.

“Pulhu needs not his fear. Will drink the cold one's tears next time he comes back from there.”

Then, as he previously did, Creak turned into vapor and got carried away by the winds. Jack knew it a futile effort to try and follow. He watched as the last wisps vanished. A leaden throb knocked on the back of his head, but Jack wrote it off as the after-effect of Pulhu's failed attempt to terrorize him. However, puzzlement over Creak's continued reference to Hiccup lingered as well. The monster did not give up the pretense he formed a threat against one who lived on another planet. Jack shook his head as he floated down to where Bunny hung halfway out the window.

“Crikes, did he get into your noggin again, mate?” Bunny asked with a hint of real concern.

“No, not really. He tried, but only left me with a small headache,” Jack replied.

“Then why the face?”

“He keeps trying to scare me about Hiccup.”

“Could be your weak spot, Jack. Trust me: I know about weak spots,” Bunnymund quietly rejoined.

Jack raised his eyebrows in question.

“A different time, maybe, once we take care of this blighter.

Jack nodded.

“So what did he say about your dragon rider?” Bunny focused on the immediate issue.

“He said Toothless is dying and Hiccup is afraid,” the elemental Guardian answered.

“Hiccup don't sound like an easy one to scare to me, so it's just words.”

“You're right. He's as tough as Nick.”

Bunny eyed him.

“Seriously,” Jack said and held up his hands. “Right after watching his father die, he continued to fight against Drago and the alpha. That takes real mettle.”

“Aye, I reckon it does. Don't know what a Drago or an alpha is, but it doesn't sound too nice,” his compatriot remarked.

“Now that you mention it, neither do I... except Drago is a person and the alpha is some kind of monstrous dragon.”

Bunny narrowed his eyes.

“I really wish you could go there...”

“Not me. No thanks. Sounds to me like those dragons might not know the difference between a Pooka and a rabbit,” Bunny instantly rejected the notion. “But that ain't our problem right now. Creak is, so tell me everything he said to you.”

While a child giggled in the background due to something Bunny did, Jack proceeded to relate the conversation with Creak in exact detail. He tried to speak word-for-word exactly what the creature said to him. Bunny listened without interrupting. Small squeals of laughter kept distracting Jack.

“What did you do in there?” He finally broke off his tale.

“Tickle egg. It's a wrestling match between ‘em now, and that little boy is winning,” Bunny explained with abundant humor, joy, and pride, but then his features turned serious as he said: “I don't get his fascination with Hiccup and the dragon. What game do you thing he's up to?”

“I don't know.”

“Maybe you should go talk to the mountain spirit again. He seemed right full of useful bits.”

“I'm not sure I can just call up Leiyís'axt whenever I want. I think I just happened to be in the right place at the right time.”

“Shame, that. Sounds like he could a useful ally,” Bunny commented.

“I can't quite say if it's male or female, but it sounded like his purpose is different from ours. I don't think Leiyís'axt would be too happy if we interfered, and I wouldn't want to go up against that one.”

“Not by the sounds of it,” his friend agreed. “Alright, let's head back to the Pole and log this. Then I've got to get back to the Warren to do some planting. Can't let spring go a-wasting.”

Not long after, Jack returned the room in the castle Nick let him use. Inside he kept various mementos from previous encounters. To this he recently added a piece of stone from Denali where he met the Broken Nose. Even Nick noted with appreciation the rarity of the event, and said he only met two in his entire lifetime. However, news of the encounter with Creak took priority. Jack finished his duty in that regard by standing in front of the Tome of Peril and reciting the events. Words magically appeared on the page dedicated to Creak. It summarized the meeting to a short paragraph, and only referenced the threat made about the Hallan and the dragon. However, it continued to worry Jack long after. His room held no answers in the end, so he wandered back into the great hall and stood before the globe.

“Inphroom humphaph murph?” Reginald, the current keeper of the watch, said.

Jack, having no idea what the yeti asked, replied: “Just trying to figure out why Pulhu...”

“Phulhuph?”

“Creak's real name. Don't you ever read the Tome?”

Reginald swung his furry head back and forth.

“Can't blame you there. Not a lot of happy endings in that book.”

The yeti blinked at him. Jack blinked back in response. Momentarily distracted, a different thought entered his head.

“I was wondering: is there any way to increase the sensitivity to Pul... Creak as he starts to appear so we can get to him before he gets the chance to scare the bejeebers out of the kids?” The newest of the Guardians inquired.

Reginald shifted his gaze to the globe. Jack got the impression the fury, lumbering figure contemplated the idea. Since he possessed no knowledge of how the globe actually worked, Jack felt momentarily useless. The clever yeti mystified him as much as their language did. Like Bunny's unspoken and tragic past, the young Guardian felt a compelling story lay behind the yeti's service to Nicholas Saint North. He suspected an invisible thread ran through the tale and it somehow connected them to the rest of the Guardians. Unlike the elves that showed up unannounced and a bit unwanted, the yeti formed a vital core to the operations of the North Pole. Only Nick's caring nature kept him from throwing the elves out, and the man sometimes hinted the elves did, indeed, serve a greater purpose besides ‘testing' the toys.

“Too many mysteries,” Jack mused to himself.

“Humph?” Reginald seemed to ask and turned toward him.

“Just wondering about the elves.”

The yeti rolled his eyes and started to say: “Limph-a-nurph hoph nalph umph-phumph...”

“Um, not to sound too rude, but, ah, you know I don't speak a word of yeti, right?”

The large yeti glanced to his right and left several times. When he appeared satisfied, Reginald leaned forward. Jack got the impression a secret of some sort would be shared, so he leaned in as well.

“Maybe you should if you're going to spend so much time here,” Reginald said in crystal clear English, lightly flavored with a British accent and a hint of acrimony. “We have children as well.”

The yeti leaned back and Jack simply gaped at the creature for many long moments. The shock of hearing one of Nick's assistants speak a language he understood lingered. As the seconds flew by, the young Guardian considered the ramifications of the two short sentences. It came together quickly in his head.

“I'm sorry,” he said with sincere contrition. “I never thought... I mean, you live here under Nick's protection...”

Reginald flashed him a sharp look.

“Not all of you, huh?” Jack mumbled. “I honestly didn't know.”

The yeti appeared to scowl.

“But I guess I should. You're just as vulnerable to Creak as any of us.”

The brown, tan, and white fury head nodded.

“I, um, think I need to broaden my perspective about who lives on Earth and what the Guardians need to do. It's not just about humans, is it?”

“No,” a somber voice said from behind.

Jack twisted his head around and saw Nick standing five feet behind him. He never heard the warrior Guardian approach. Dressed in his stained red leather pants, his stained white cotton shirt, the stained green canvas apron, and the stained black boots, Nick looked even more the part of Santa Claus. At the moment, the man wore a ‘you're naughty' expression. The winter elemental felt abashed.

“You are beginning to learn many things live on this world, Jack,” Nick said in the same tone. “Humans are just one part. It is an old world, not the oldest, and life's lived here hundreds of millions of years. We were wondering how long it would be before you began to realize this. In some ways, you're going off to Halla is teaching you many, many lessons.”

“Like not to take anything at face value,” Jack responded.

“Da, that, but also to see even small things have meaning. Think about why you were up on Denali and why a hado'ih should decide to talk to you.”

“Leiyís'axt said I asked a question... but there was also the sunset.”

“Ah, there it is, Jack: questions! You've always been good at asking questions. Now you need to learn that not all answers you will like... and sometimes you get no answers at all. Every once in a while that is the best answer of all because it means you have to dig deeper. That is what Reginald was really trying to say to you,” said Nick at length.

“How is it I can be over three hundred years old and still don't know this?” Jack huffed in frustration.

“Because for too long you lived in isolation,” his friend quickly replied. “But that was not such a bad thing, Jack. You know you're powers deep inside very well, and you do amazing things with them. Maybe that is why he...”

All three looked up through the oculus at the spot where the new moon sat nearly invisible to the naked eye.

“...never says much to us. We need to discover much on our own and learn to deal with it in our own way,” Nick said in a friendlier if more speculative manner. “The real power lies within our skulls and our ability to question everything.”

“And that's why you told me to think of Creak as a science project,” Jack retorted, and it came out a statement.

Nick grinned at him. Once more he felt like a child learning at a master's knee. Since the subject came about due to a single interaction, he faced the source. 

“Reginald,” Jack spoke the name and turned to the yeti. “Do your children like the cold?”

Reginald huffed, glanced down at his own body, and then held out his arms. His fur billowed because of the actions. The answer became painfully obvious.

“Just want to make sure. Now, where in the world do you and your folk actually live?”

The yeti glanced at Nick, and the man nodded. Reginald spun silently on one foot and began to walk to the circular stairway lining the central opening of the great hall. Jack, floating half a foot above the ground and holding tight to his staff, followed because it seemed he should. He knew the stairs granted access to the gears and machinery of the globe. Reginald thumped down the stairs passing doorways and offshoots that Jack never thought about investigating since he did not want to violate Nick's privacy. Three times they circled the central hub until they came to veranda sitting to one side as the stairs continued deeper into the bowels of the castle. The portico led to a gigantic circular door covered over with silver filigree in vastly intricate designs. Reginald placed his hand on the door and mumbled a few words. The door silently opened inward.

“This is only but one enclave, Jack Frost. Several are spread around the world in mountainous and forested regions,” Reginald said in a formal tone. “Know this: I will never again address you in the human tongue, nor will any of my people even if they know it.”

“I understand,” Jack hardly breathed the words.

“Hurph,” the yeti said and then walked through the portal.

What Jack saw beyond the door reminded him at first of the dragon cavern on Halla, but that quickly got eclipsed by what he started to see. A large, open space lay at the center, and three levels rose up. Above even that a blue-white dome of ice capped the cavern. Doors and egress points dotted the ledges of the other levels, and Jack suspected the complex rivaled that of the Warren in Australia. Everywhere he looked he saw incredibly detailed metal work, small machines grinding and puffing with smooth effort, and the signs of a very intelligent and industrious people. Above all, Jack noticed everything looked clean, immaculate, and orderly. Any who thought of the yeti as beasts would be rapidly disabused of the notion. It only took moments for Jack to realize he looked out over a well-organized and advanced culture. He stared in awe.

Jack's arrival got met with silence and then a short speech by Reginald to the multitude that stood mutely staring at them. When the yeti finished speaking, several smaller yeti approached. Since they only stood a third as tall as the others, but just as tall as Jack, the Guardian guessed them to be children. The spoke to him in their muffled speech, and Jack tried to discern the meaning of the words. It did not take long for the children to see he did not understand. They appeared disappointed.

“Please, be patient with me,” he begged before they could walk away. “I'm here to learn, and I need your help.”

The children looked to their elders, who then looked to Reginald. The yeti nodded. Reginald then pointed to Jack's crook, and the waved his arm up into the air. His long, furry fingers danced as the arm lowered. Jack grinned and understood.

“Let it snow,” he whispered to the yeti children.

The Spirit of Fun raised his staff. He channeled energy through his arm into the gleaming gray wood. A spray of white emerged from the end, soaring into the wide space above the assembled yeti. Several gasped as snow started to fall. He turned it into a gentle flurry with the application of more power. Many of the yeti, especially the children, reached up to grab the clumps of white flakes. Laughter bubbled from Jack as he fell into the role of his life. He leapt into the air, spinning in a corkscrew pattern as snow floated about him. Both children and adult yeti squealed with delight as he danced in the air and snow whirled about him in a crazy pattern.

The young Guardian spent hours living up to his name. Within the first hour half a foot of snow blanketed the inside of the cavern. Fortunately, the natural cold in the keep kept it from melting. Children and adults gamboled about in the white powder. Moment by moment Jack felt stronger and stronger as the glee of the yeti young infected him. He joined in with snowball fights, and found himself grossly outmatched as the children proved both accurate and powerful with their shots. He helped build one snow yeti after another, and the native skill of the people showed through. Their artistry rivaled his, even in the toddlers who could fashion very recognizable faces. He raced the yeti who could slide on stomachs as their fur acted as natural sled, and he lost each competition with tremendous elation. A grand time took shape as the snow continued to fall.

During the entire time Jack heard the language of the yeti. After three hours, it happened. Jack learned his first yeti word. They taught him the basic word for snow. It rang in his ears like a healthy, pure sound. He could feel his magic seize it and make the word his own. The indescribable joy of being able to say snow in native yeti language filled him. Jack called out the word as he waved his staff around sending snow flying in every direction. The children, and most of the adults, cheered him. Moreover, he saw snow as an important element in their lives. A species equipped with fur like theirs made it perfectly clear they not only could deal with cold and ice, but mostly likely reveled in it. Thus, it became more than play: it became a celebration of life. Jack felt the cares of the world melt away as he both amused and cavorted with the yeti children.

To one side he saw Reginald. The yeti nodded and, most importantly, smiled at him. Jack felt the fool for having so long failed to recognize the yeti came from somewhere, and that somewhere included children. Children, regardless of species, formed the central purpose of his duty. While the mature side of him gained a new perspective, the sheer amount of entertainment and fun happening around him balanced it. By the time the glowing blue-green disk above them transformed into evening cover, Jack felt entirely rejuvenated as exhausted but happy yeti children flopped down panting in the snow. Then he studied his crook. It glimmered with frost. He hugged it to himself and felt it become more of his own. Like him, the staff needed to experience the real reason for their being and what united them. Thus, what Jack did for the yeti children almost immediately came back to him in abundance. One who gave freely without regard of reward always received it in equal measure.

A smaller yeti hand reached up and tugged at his foot. Jack floated down and sat in the snow across from the child. She, and he recognized the child as a she, smiled at him. He smiled in return.

“Good... snow,” she evenly and slowly said in yeti. “Good hraphmoph umnph.”

“Thanks,” he replied and patted her head.

The yeti girl reached out and patted his head. They chuckled together. Around him yeti parents corralled and marshaled the tuckered children toward their homes. Many of the children called out to him, and Jack waved as they went to their well-earned rest. It did not take long before the central cavern became mostly empty. A few of the much older adults continued to play in the snow, and Jack felt even more pleased. Rarely in his life did he get to directly service adults with his gifts and powers. Given what the yeti did for the rest of the world, it seemed only right. 

With the day seemingly over, Jack headed for the exit. When he stood before the enormous door, he saw it did not sport a handle or knob. Thus, he turned immaterial and flew forward. The impact he made against the wood echoed around him. Never in his life did Jack experience any object through which he could not pass. He stared at the door while floating above the ground and rubbing his forehead.

“Hurhurph phlomph orph,” a voice said behind him.

Jack lowered to the ground, resumed a solid form, and glanced back at the yeti. The woman, and again he could recognize the subtle clues between the genders, strolled forward. She raised a large, hairy hand, placed it against the door, and mumbled a long phrase Jack could not quite make out. Without so much as a click or a squeal, the door swung away from her. Then she turned and looked at him.

“That is some powerful magic,” he said in awe. “Thank you for coming to my rescue.”

The yeti chuckled at him and stood to one side. Jack bowed, deeply and formally, before he walked through the doorway. As he passed the yeti woman, he waggled his fingers and a small burst of snow cascaded around the woman's head. She looked up and sighed. The Spirit of Fun, having more than earned his appellation that day, exited the yeti village. The door closed behind without a single sound. Once in the castle, he resumed flying.

Hortoo stood at the controls of the globe making small adjustments on the control console Jack saw when he crested the rail of the main floor. Still feeling impish and full of himself after such a successful time, he sailed over to the yeti.

“Listen to this, Hortoo,” he said when he got close enough. Then he switched languages. “SNOW!”

Hortoo's eyes widened and he responded in yeti: “Good! Naph olomph hurumph!”

“Not quite there yet, but I'll figure it out soon enough!” Jack said in English.

Hortoo grinned at him. The Guardian smiled in response. He shot into the air and through oculus. Filled with power and purpose, Jack Frost went out to exercise the reason why The Man in the Moon raised him from the cold lake.

The light attached to the ceiling only made the room appear even more gray and lifeless. The thin blanket and shapeless pillow did not add any comfort to the cell. The ghastly orange one-piece clothing made Hiccup miss his riding armor with greater intensity. His skin felt dirty and grimy, and his hair greasy and matted. He felt oddly naked and completely vulnerable. The corner farthest from the door offered the only sanctuary, but Hiccup knew it to be illusory.

The first day spent as a captive proved terrifying. First, Hiccup understood nothing said to him. The languages, and they used more than one with him, boggled his mind. Second, they stripped him naked for half a day. He got poked and prodded in ways so personally invasive no amount of embarrassment could ease him. Strange machines got used on or near his body making noises that caused more fear. Thirdly, when people did not yell at him, they worked in absolute silence. The silence frightened him beyond measure because he could sense the menace underneath it. These people, he told himself repeatedly, seemed completely devoid of any civility or decency. 

On top of everything Hiccup worried incessantly over Toothless, and it robbed him of any ability to sleep. Each time he closed his eyes, he saw his captors roughly handling the spent dragon without any regard for the creature's well-being. Furthermore, he learned nothing regarding Toothless' location or whether the dragon still lived. Exhaustion and stress started to take a toll, and the Viking could not imagine how much longer he could hold out before his sanity began to crack. His thoughts, when not consumed with questions about Toothless, regularly turned to Jack. Time and again he wondered why the Guardian did not find him.

“How can you not know?” He savagely whispered into the dimly lit confines.

As if on cue, the door opened. Hiccup huddled against the wall, cradling the pillow against his stomach. His broken arm, now encased in an inflexible, hard, and stiff woven material, felt ponderous to him. However, the grim features of the woman who stood in the doorway told him another session waited. Dressed in black and carrying the threatening looking long object, one they intimated would cause him serious injury, captured his attention.

“Stoisko!” She growled at him.

Hiccup did not understand the word, but the two previous sessions followed a routine. He stood. His guard watched him carefully with sharp, gray eyes.

“Reçe z przodu!” The woman ordered.

Hiccup set the pillow on the hard rock surface that served as both bed and couch and held out his arms. A man then stepped from behind her and to him. Strange bendable but unbreakable bands got placed around his free wrist and through a loop in the material encasing his right arm. A hot, sizzling sound reached his ears as the bands got tightened by pulling one end through a clasp of bizarre function. Hiccup wordlessly watched. Then came the worse part: a hood of black material got roughly pulled over his head, entirely blocking his vision. Hands grabbed the underside of his arms and hauled him to his feet. Hiccup felt like a rag doll in the clutches of an evil child.

Someone got behind Hiccup and pushed him forward. Hiccup staggered and began to walk. As before, they led him out of the room and down a complex series of hallway. Because it brought him a sense of mental calm, the Viking counted his steps and the number of turns they took. He began to form a map in his head, but too many blank areas remained. In the end he got delivered into another room. Inside they pushed him into a chair, chained his manacled wrists to the table, ripped the hood from his head, and exited.

Hiccup sat alone under the bright, glaring lights staring into his reflection. A third of the wall on the opposite side of the table formed a perfect reflective surface. In any other circumstance, Hiccup would want to examine it until he understood how they managed to make it so flawlessly reflective; however, circumstances did not favor his curiosity at the moment. He studied his reflection and thought he looked awful, but it made sense. His skin looked ashen and his green eyes dull with the dark half-circles under them. The russet hair on his head appeared matted and unkempt. Hiccup got held prisoner in the past, but never with such ruthless efficiency. These people, while not as initially cruel the Berserkers or the Outcasts, scared him more with their emotionless and mechanical motions. He saw the fear in his face.

The door creaked open and a familiar man and woman walked in. They sat down at the table across from him. Silence reigned as the trio regarded one another, and Hiccup felt dread creep up his spine. The man wore a white shirt with an odd piece of striped material hanging in front. His dark skin gleamed and accentuated the dark, closely cropped curly hair shot through with strands of white. The deep brown eyes seemed to blend into the skin. The wide nose flared above the very full lips. The woman wore a long-sleeved gray jerkin over a lighter gray shirt. A rope of tiny white beads circled her throat. She also wore a legless wrap around her waist made of the same cloth as the jerkin. Her light sandy-brown hair, blond by most standards, sat pulled into a ball at the back of her head. It appeared to stretch her pallid skin. Her hazel eyes studied him with interest, but looked utterly devoid of compassion.

“Czy mówisz po polsku?” The woman said in a seemingly questioning manner.

Hiccup stared at her. The routine threatened to become a copy of their previous meetings. The woman would fling meaningless sounds at him and expect some form of response. The man would sit quietly and take notes or offer whispered comments. It usually gave the Viking a headache.

“Spricht du Deutsh?”

While sounding oddly familiar, it meant nothing to the Viking.

“Do you speak English?” She spoke again.

Once again he guessed she tried to communicate with him. He sighed and quietly asked: “Can you understand me?”

Neither man nor woman appeared to understand.

“Parlez-vous français?” The woman stated.

Hiccup gave her another blank stare.

“Hablas español?” She tried again.

He did not respond and began to stare at the table top. The surface, smooth and uniform in a manner that would normally captivate him, appeared nothing more than one of their endless variants of gray. Even his manacles became less interesting as he gazed at them.

“Есть ли у вас говорит на русском?”

Hiccup did not move since the words meant nothing to him.

“I don't know what you're saying,” he told them.

“Har du taler Dansk?”

The Viking lifted his head. The sentence almost held meaning for him. He stared at the woman, who gazed right back.

“Er dit sprog Dansk?” She said in a more hopeful tone.

“It's like you have brain damage or something,” Hiccup grunted frustration. “The sounds are close, but there're no words I understand. Where is Toothless?”

“Toot... hlephs?” She repeated the name, but it came out garbled and broken.

“This is pointless,” the Viking grumbled. “When are you just going to kill me?”

The man and the woman bowed their heads close together. Hiccup could not figure out why they whispered since he could not understand single word they spoke. After a few moments, the duo returned to staring at him. A few seconds later, the man opened the folded piece of pale yellow stiff paper. From it he withdrew another sheet, laid it on the table, and slid it toward Hiccup. Hiccup's eyes went wide in wonder. Before him sat the most realistic picture of Toothless he ever saw. The dragon lay on the ground with an intricate muzzle made of steel rods on his face and his cinch around his girth to keep his wings in check. Tears came to Hiccup's eyes as he gazed at his beloved friend.

“Toothless,” he whispered. “What did they do to you?”

“Offensichtlich ist dies Toot-hlephs,” the man said to the woman.

“Ja, scheint es so, aber wo kommt es her?” She answered.

The man glanced at him, then at the picture, and said: “Er wird uns nicht antworten. Entweder er keine bekannte Sprache sprechen oder er ist außergewöhnlich gut ausgebildet.”

“Ja, ja,” the woman said and nodded.

“Say something I can understand!” Hiccup yelled at them when the two seemed to be talking about Toothless. “I thought you people were supposed to have... have magic or something to help you! Jack can understand me! Why can't you?”

The female glanced at him with a confused expression. After a moment she said to her companion: “Ich kann fast hören Worte, aber... es ist nie ganz richtig. Er muss eine Sprache einer Art sprechen, weil sie Kadenz und Muster hat.”

“Es sei denn, wir können mit ihm zu kommunizieren, können wir nicht näher an das Verständnis, wo er herkam, was das Geschöpf ist, oder warum er hier ist!” The man rejoined and almost sounded angry.

“This is hopeless,” Hiccup said as he slumped in his chair.

The woman coughed and Hiccup glanced up at her.

“Haben Sie einen Namen? Mein Name ist Amelia. Was is dein?” She slowly said and looked expectantly at him.

“It's just gibberish,” the young Viking man replied.

The woman touched her hand to her chest and repeated one word: “Amelia.”

Memories of Bojan, the one person on the gods-forsaken planet who showed Hiccup any kindness, sprang to mind. The man made a similar gesture when introducing his name.

“Am...ah... lee-ah,” Hiccup spoke the name in parts.

“Ja! Ja! Amelia!” The woman said with more animation and tapped he chest again. “Und Ihre?”

“Vielleicht nicht ist er blöd,” the dark-skinned man grumbled.

Hiccup watched as a cross expression swam over the woman's face and she glared at her companion. After a few seconds, she said in low tones: “Er hat Angst, müde, und weiß nicht, was los ist. Das macht ihn nicht blöd: es macht ihn menschlich, Deiter.”

“Woher wissen sie, er ist auch ein Mensch?” The man bluntly retorted.

The woman's eyebrows twitched, but she returned her attention to Hiccup.

“Amelia,” she said again, and then extended her hand toward him. “Und Ihre?”

“Oh, right,” Hiccup wearily said. “Hiccup. My name is Hiccup. Hiccup.”

“Hitch-oop,” she said much in the same manner as Bojan.

“Close enough,” Hiccup answered. “Hiccup.”

The woman then pointed to the picture of Toothless and said: “Toot-hlephs.”

“Yeah, my bud, Toothless,” the Viking responded and his voice caught on the last word.

The tears that leaked from his eyes could not be stopped. Alone, afraid, and exhausted, the young man neared his limit. Seeing his best winged friend bound and gagged and looking defeated depressed him. He thought back to what the horrible apparition told him. More tears streamed out. If Toothless died, Hiccup could not imagine wanting to go on. He knew the loss would irreparably damage him, and most likely far worse than what Snotlout suffered after the death of Hookfang. Hiccup's eyes burned and his vision blurred as he stared at the picture of Toothless.

“Sie lieben diese Kreatur, nicht wahr?” The woman said in the most human tones Hiccup heard her use.

“Es ist nicht ein Hund,” the man spat.

“Sie sind ein mannschaft, Dieter! Du weist es. Du sah den Sattel... und die Packungen... und seine Kleidung. Diese beiden arbeiten zusammen... und eng!” The female angrily rounded on the man.

The man, in Hiccup's estimation, appeared chastised. Clearly the woman held a superior position to the man. Suddenly, the Viking found a small glimmer of hope. He stared at the woman.

“Please, please let me see Toothless! I'm begging you. Please... please let me see him,” Hiccup piteously pleaded.

“Ich glaube, er, um das Tier sehen will.”

“Nein!” The man sternly said right after the woman softly spoke. “Sie haben gesehen, was das Ding zu tun. Sie macht kaputt zwei Hubschrauber, Amelia. Ich kann mir nicht einmal vorstellen, was passieren würde, wenn wir sie in einem geschlossenen Raum zusammengebracht!”

With that the man stood, grabbed the picture of Toothless, and stomped away from the table. He stood at the door for a moment. When he faced his companion, he looked less hostile.

“Amelia, nicht bekommen... Stockholm auf dieser Kerl. Alles, was wir an ihm haben, sagt, er sei ein trainierter Kämpfer. Das Tier ist eine Waffe, und Sie wissen es. Lassen Sie sich nicht seine Tränen nicht täuschen.”

“Ich kenne. Du hast recht. Er sieht nur so... gebrochen aus. Nicht wie die anderen Terroristen hier,” she responded.

She then stood. Hiccup began to shake his head. He thought for a brief second she understood his need and plight. When the woman began to walk toward the door, he realized he made no headway with her. His emotions became twisted and forced him to act.

“Please!” He yelled at her. “He's dying! Don't let him die! For the love of Odin, don't let Toothless die!”

“Ooh... dan?” The man said and left the room while two guards rushed into the room around him.

Hiccup found his face slammed onto the table. He struggled, but it served no purpose other than to make the guards angry. He heard the clop of the woman's shoes as she left the room. After half a minute of the male guard all but laying on top of him, Hiccup stopped fighting. Winded and with a stinging left cheek, he got uncoupled from the table. Then they hauled him to his feet. After the hood got jammed over his head, Hiccup felt oddly at peace. While he did not like the treatment in any manner, at least he understood what they intended.

The guards unceremoniously dragged him back to his cell. Hiccup felt as though he slipped into a dark hole when he got tossed into the tiny chamber, without the hood and unbound, and the door slammed shut. He lay on the ground unable to raise himself. Despite his cleverness, he could see no way to escape. Moreover, Hiccup felt convinced Toothless did not have long to live. Either these people would kill the dragon or let him expire through their ignorance. The feelings of hopelessness swamped him. Hiccup finally descended into a black, unfriendly sleep.


	8. Chapter 8

“Horunph... ah... lirph,” Jack said the statue of Thaddeus Burgess

The statue neither moved nor responded.

“Come on, give me a break: I'm just learning it and... this is not an easy language,” the Guardian remarked with a knowing grin.

For two straight days he played with the yeti children. The return of snow to the yeti enclave seemed to please the large people, and they appeared to welcome his presence. Jack gradually began to pick up more and more of the yeti tongue. His magical ability to learn and understand the speech of children got sorely tested in the process. As he began to piece together the syntax and vocabulary, Jack discovered the yeti to be an amazingly precise people. Yeti words contained multiple ideas with meaning partially generated by the inflection and tone applied by the speaker. He found the word snow did not simply mean snow: it meant ‘water that freezes high in the sky and floats to the ground.' Moreover, if the yeti used the prefix for soft, the word could mean slush or, to be exact, ‘water that freezes high in the sky and floats to the ground, but now resides at a higher temperature.” However, hardening the vowel right before the word snow changed the meaning to ‘water that freezes high in the sky and floats to the ground made soft by the heat pressure of feet.' He only just began to understand how yeti could cram complex meanings into a few precise sounds.

“It's really very amazing,” he told the bronze face of Thaddeus. “They can say so much in so few words, and they never speak unless they have something important, something meaningful to say. The yeti are geniuses, Mister Burgess!”

Jack meant it. In two days he discovered how much they improved life at the North Pole for Nick and anyone who came there. The yeti mastered the art of building complex toys. Their understanding of circuitry and computers exceeded the most advanced companies on Earth. In some respects, Jack suspected the yeti thought the electronics of humans to be underdeveloped. In stark contrast, the tools they used in their homes and daily life remained relatively simple. Granted, the tools tended to be finely crafted and exquisitely detailed, but not overly complex. Thus, they made a lot of tools and took excellent care of them. Amid all this, the yeti exhibited one trait that took him completely by surprise.

Jack's face turned a deep scarlet when he told the statue: “They don't understand clothes. Can you believe it? The kids stripped me naked because they wanted to see what kind of fur I grew. I mean... I don't have fur... or not a lot... and it totally baffled them.”

Thaddeus Burgess stood mute on the subject.

“I guess when you've got as much as they do... from head to toe... and everywhere, hairless people must look strange to them.”

Jack tried to look past the personally embarrassing moment with the fact the yeti did not mean to embarrass or humiliate him. In many ways, they proved eager to learn more about him. Following the incident he day before, Nick found him sitting at the top of the stairs pondering the events.

“Why are you not enjoying the yeti children? They love your snow,” Nick said and took a seat next to him.

“They um... see... differences and, well, they... ah, sort of... definitely not afraid to investigate...” Jack tried to explain without casting a judgment.

“Ah, they wanted to see the hairless ape, no?” Nick said and chuckled. “They do not understand what we think of as naked. I believe they see clothes as tools: something to use but not essential.”

“Wait! Are you saying they did this to you too?

“Oh, da! Many times,” his friend answered through his laughter. “Each generation wants to see for themselves, so... it's not so bad after the first dozen or so times. It's why I don't wear much when I go into their compound. See?”

Jack nodded, both befuddled and bemused by Nick's lackadaisical demeanor.

“Look at what we ask them to live with and never ever think twice about it,” the man replied to his expression. “You assumed they spoke your language, didn't you?”

“Yeah, I did,” he responded and felt a bit of shame.

“But now you are first person in at least a hundred years to try and learn theirs, and this goes long way with the yeti. It is sign of respect, Jack, and that is universal. This is why they look beneath your clothes. They want to know you.”

“It's a cultural thing, I guess.”

“Da, that it is, Jack, that it is,” Nick quietly said through another chuckle.

They sat for a moment, each absorbed in thought, and the gentle whirring of machinery all around made for an interesting yet pleasant ambiance. No one needed to guess why Jack suddenly spent more time at the North Pole. Even from the yeti compound the sound of the Creak alarm could be heard. He and Nick raced to one scene through a snow-globe portal earlier in the day, but did not arrive in time to confront Creak. Instead, the soothed the terrified child. Once more Jack got to witness the profound impact the presence of Santa Claus on people. It took less than a minute until the child seemed to completely forget about reality of Creak. In the midst of his pondering the yeti, Jack wondered if Creak terrorized them as well.

“Do you think Creak goes after the yeti children?” Jack finally gave into the urge to ask.

“Da, but not here,” Nicholas Saint North said in a dark tone. “Too much of our power lies here, and it would make this creature afraid.”

“Creak... Pulhu only fears not being able to make people afraid.”

“You should go and find your hado'ih friend again. You learned some important information that night.”

“I wouldn't really call Leiyís'axt a friend. I hardly know... what are they, Nick?” Jack inquired.

“Who can say?” Nick replied with a shrug and gazed out over the central hub of his fortress. “Old beings for sure, and mostly spirit from what I can determine.”

“I'm mostly spirit.”

“Da, you are. Maybe this is why this Leiyís'axt did not mind talking with you. You might be more like them than most... and maybe most like Creak out of all of us,” his friend stated.

“I am nothing like Pulhu!” Jack angrily declared.

“Not in mind or heart, my friend, and we all know this,” Nick calmly rejoined. “But you are different from the rest of us...”

“We are different from each other, Nick, in many, many ways. Toothania went through a transformation. Sandy is... he's also ancient from a different part of the universe. Bunny is a completely different species. You... I... what are you, Nick?”

Although his anger dissipated as quickly as it rose, Jack never before wondered about the exact nature of Nicholas Saint North. Now, the question loomed large in his mind. His friend gazed at him with an understanding look.

“I am a man, my friend. Old, true, but a mortal man all the same. Between Man in the Moon and some of his allies, they've kept me going long time. They seem to think what I do is important, so... I live. But know this, Jack: I cannot live forever. I will die one day. It will happen.”

Nick fixed him with a steady gaze.

“I don't like thinking about that,” Jack confessed. “I thought you'd be eternal, like me.”

“But you already know you are not eternal.”

Jack opened his mouth and closed it. Nick spoke the truth. He did die once as a Guardian. It did not happen on Earth, but it proved the point nonetheless. Even seeming immortal creatures came to an end. It raised another specter in his mind, and he shivered in response.

“Hmm?” His mentor hummed in question.

“When I'm back on Halla, sometimes I look at Hiccup and... I know there's going to come a time when he's gone and I remain... and I'll remain a lot longer,” the Spirit of Fun spoke one of his true concerns.

“And this makes you afraid, da?”

“Not...”

Jack halted his answer. Honesty, like the kind Thursar H'rim demanded of him, required he face facts and reality. Contemplating the death of Hiccup, the day when his beloved dragon rider answered the call of Aita, did scare him. Yet it did not center on the actual death of the man. As he peered into himself, Jack realized what he feared came from within. The future loss of that love, the very source of intense personal validation, made him afraid. It apparently only took a second for Creak figured this out and used it against him in subtle ways.

“What did you do when Marta died?” Jack carefully and respectfully asked the pointedly personal question. 

“I wept, Jack. I cried and I yelled and I swore... and I... felt lonely,” the man haltingly answered, but without hesitation. “I feared I would forget her face, the sound of her voice... the feel of her hand in mine.”

Jack felt his stomach drop out until he heard his friend start to chuckle.

“But, no, I can still remember how she smelled, her hair against my face in the morning, and the times when she would hold my arm to warn me not to get carried away in a fight. My Marta is part of me, my friend, as your Hiccup is part of you. It will hurt, Jack. Da, very much will it hurt when he dies, but...” and Nick paused and smiled a smile that conveyed joy and sadness in equal measure.

“Every day you live with him, live it! Laugh with him like there is no other laugh after it. Then when you become cross and your words are angry, fight with him because you mean it, because you love him. And forgive, Jack. Oh, let there be forgiveness because of that same love. If these things you do, all the things small and great, do with everything you are, then time will never erase Hiccup from you. When the pain of his loss passes, all that emotion... those memories and that love will remain.”

Words got stuck in his throat, but Jack nodded his appreciation for the lesson Nick tried to impart. A heavy, thick hand landed on his shoulder. Strong fingers dug into his muscles. Few things felt as real and solid as Nick, and Jack could not express his gratitude for the silent comfort.

“But for now do not think of that day too much. It will come to you, and you must live so strong and hard with your dragon rider that your head is bursting with those thoughts and memories,” his friend exhorted him in a powerful voice. “And when you come back to us, you will be so much more than you are now... and it will be good!”

“The Man...” Jack began to say, stunned Nick would echo the sentiments of The Man in the Moon, but it quickly made sense. Then the world swayed as the powerful hand on his shoulder rocked him back and forth.

“You think The Man in the Moon would leave you... any of us all alone? Nyet! No! He is a wise one, and so old even the oldest, like your Leiyís'axt, cannot imagine it. Now, try to think what the Moon has lived through, eh?”

Jack did. He tried to think of the moon, billions of years old, spinning in space around the Earth. His imagination only went so far, and then began to falter. Even after three hundred years of living, Jack could not envision a span of time that great. It made him wonder how it tempered a being like Leiyís'axt or twisted one such as Creak. Then he thought of Aita, probably the oldest of all, and the bottomless eyes in the ever changing face he saw those many months before. Jack's mind went blank as the enormity stretched beyond his imagination.

Even twenty-four hours later Jack could not describe what happened in his mind as he contemplated Aita's existence. He stared into the frozen, metal face of Thaddeus Burgess. The eyes looked outward into forever. Jack patted the face and grinned.

“So I went from being naked to thoughts so big I still can't put it into perspective,” he told the statue, “but it was still kind of embarrassing. I must've looked so skinny next to the yeti. Sheesh, I am skinny. Hiccup tells me all the time... and he's a toothpick of Viking!”

Thaddeus offered no opinion. Jack slowly spun around, studying the town he called home since the day of both his mortal and immortal birth. He remembered when it used to be called Hawthorne, named after the plant that once grew in abundance in the region that got seriously depleted by overuse in cooking. The pungent, apple-like flavor still lingered on his tongue even though ages passed since he last ate a hawthorn pie. The remembered taste brought his birth mother to mind. A wash of memories, some hazy and indistinct, swam around Jack. He could visualize Burgess in the days when only three buildings stood to mark the point where two trading trails crossed: one running north to south while the other from east into the new west. In the midst of those memories, regardless of their fragmentation, he found a sense of comfort and peace.

Despite the rude nature of the act, Jack sat on the bronze head of Thaddeus Burgess and watched the town go through its daily routine. His crook lay nestled in his lap, twinkling as the sun passed overhead. The spring day filled him with ease, and the Guardian silently thanked the Spirit of Hope for a job well done. He knew he should be off somewhere confronting the forces of evil, but this activity also served a purposed. It allowed Jack to focus on the true meaning of his duty and purpose. He sighed in contentment and looked forward to the sunset.

The golden glow of the sun as it neared the horizon masked the arrival of another Guardian. It nearly took Jack by surprise when he found himself staring into the face of the Sandman. The fact his colleague appeared in daylight instantly made him sit up and pay attention. Sandy floated on his cloud of dream sand and moved so Jack did not sit squinting in the descending sun. The small man dressed in a one-piece outfit stared at him for a moment.

“Okay, what?” Jack questioned the oldest of the Guardians.

A question mark appeared above Sandy's head.

“Asking me or am I asking you?”

Sandy frowned and pointed up. Jack let his gaze follow along. Slowly, more slowly than normal for the Spirit of Dreams, an image began to take shape in the sand cloud he used to communicate. It took less than a minute before Jack gaped in pure astonishment at the scene. He found it difficult to believe he actually saw it.

“Sandy, that's Hiccup and Toothless,” he murmured. “How... do you know about Toothless? I've never drawn a picture of him.”

Sandy frowned again, and then a new face appeared. A girl with curly hair topping a round forehead that tapered into a pointed chin took form. Even with closed eyes it became obvious a troubling dream nested in her mind. Above her head the scene of Hiccup, Toothless, and another man emerged. Sandy never before revealed his work in such a manner. Jack watched the dream. The unknown man grasped Hiccup's arm, and then did something that caused the Viking to yell. In sympathetic response, Toothless could be seen bugling. If one did not know the dragon, it would appear frightening.

“Sandy, what is this? How is she having that dream?” Jack begged the question.

The Sandman frowned for a third time. He glanced at Jack with a worried expression. The emotion transferred a little.

“It's not a dream,” the youngest of the Guardians said in slow drawl.

Sandy shook his head, and it became clear he agreed with Jack.

“Sandy, if that's.... No! How? This doesn't make sense! He's back on Halla!”

His friend replied by looking up and watching the scene play out again. Jack knew the Sandman incapable of lying. Moreover, what he showed simply replayed what got witnessed. A sick, ugly sensation began to worm through Jack's stomach.

“But if it's a memory...”

Fear and panic gripped Jack the likes of which he did not experience since some of the more dire events on Halla. It seemed impossible, but somehow the girl saw the young Viking man and his dragon. Like a hailstorm, Creak's words began to pelt his brain. The malignant creature also knew the Hallans arrived on Earth. Jack wanted to reject all those ideas, but his rational mind would not yield. He stared at his fellow guardian.

“Sandy, take me to this girl. I need to talk to her,” Jack requested as much as demanded.

Instead of taking umbrage at Jack's brusque tone, the Sandman's cloud expanded in size. No one needed to tell the elemental Guardian to step aboard. Part of his brain marveled at the solidity of the dream sand as his feet touched down. His naked toes instantly felt comfortable and pleasantly warm. Jack's sense of panic also began to recede as the Sandman's powerful abilities affected him. Never before did Jack experience such prolonged contact with the unique material used by his comrade. However, that paled in comparison to what happened next.

A new sensation took over. It seemed a warm cocoon, like a wool blanket on a cold night, wrapped around Jack. His visual field assumed golden yellow hues. Although he knew the cloud itself moved, the world appeared to shift in a dreamlike manner. It felt as though both he and Sandy remained stationary as they climbed into the sky. Then the vista below began to undulate as they shot forward at a fast clip. Regardless of his own abilities, Jack got the strange feeling of flight but a surreal quality infused it. No wind whipped his hair about. Neither his nor the Sandman's clothing flapped in the strong gale created by their passage through the air. The missing feeling of wind brushing against his skin argued that he did not fly at all. Jack realized that this had to be how others experienced the sense of flight in a dream. Thus, he let the magic cloud carry him to their destination. They moved as fast as Jack in flight at top speeed, so the distance quickly disappeared.

Sandy did not aim eastward as expected. Instead, they flew north. Towns, fields, and forests passed under them in a blur. Jack began some mental calculations to determine how fast they flew. By his estimate, the Sandman travel near Mach two. The speed, while impressive, did not reach Toothania's upper velocity. Hence, the border of the United States lay far behind them after the first hour. The mystery of their destination gradually evaporated. Sandy guided them to singular well-known place.

“Why are we going to the Pole?” He somewhat testily inquired.

Sandy threw another frown at him.

“What?”

Above the Sandman's head, Jack watched as an image of Nick appeared with a snow globe in hand.

“He might not want to help with this,” Jack remarked.

Sandy rolled his eyes and focused on keeping their trajectory true; thus leaving the Spirit of Fun with time on his hands. He spent the last hour and a half fretting and trying to figure out what happened that could possibly explain Hiccup's presence on Earth. He toyed with his staff, nearly striking the Sandman several times, while attempting to keep in emotional control. Jack's imagination ran wild. While Creak did not kill, it did not mean the ancient being did not transport people to places where death could quickly follow. It proved easy to imagine the one who called itself Pulhu could move between dimensions given The Man in the Moon made it happen to Jack once a month and bi-directionally as well. Before he could get carried away picturing the horrors Creak could visit on Hiccup, Jack paused to review what Sandy displayed.

“He wasn't alone,” the winter elemental in the guise of a young man quietly said as he replayed the scene in his mind. “Who were those people?”

The question hung in the air as the Nunavut province began to give way to the Arctic snow fields far below the magic cloud. Further review revealed Hiccup did not appear to be in any form of specific danger. The fragment began to prove frustrating as the information it provided seemed scant. It did not explain where they saw Hiccup and Toothless, when, why, or under what conditions they met. Lastly, it gave him no clue as to how the man he loved wound up on Earth. Jack began to shift his weight back and forth from foot to foot as he struggled to make sense of the situation. After a few moments, Sandy turned and scowled while looking down at Jack's feet.

“Sorry,” he said and stopped fidgeting.

The Sandman's face then grew slack. His eyes sparkled and radiated a sense he understood Jack's plight. They nodded at each other in unison. Sandy then went back to directing the dream sand cloud. It took very little for Jack to feel grateful the short little man brought him the news instead of Bunny. The Pooka would lend aid, but Jack believed he would pay a price in dignity for the assistance. However, given Hiccup might be in real peril meant the elemental Guardian would accept any help at this stage. He began to sort through the resources available as the last leagues leading to the North Pole fortress whizzed by.

“Hmm, this is troubling,” Nick said after Jack explained the situation and Sandy replayed the scenes in the dream sand. “And you have no idea how he got here?”

“None,” Jack affirmed for a second time.

“And you know right where this girl lives, Sandy?”

The Sandman nodded.

“Give me the coordinates,” Nick requested.

Above the Sandman's head, a map of Europe appeared. The map then zoomed in to an area east of the Alps. Jack racked his brain to remember the countries that touched the mountain range, but his growing sense of distress made it an impossible task. Nicholas Saint North, conversely, studied it with a knowing expression.

“Slovenia. Carniola, yes?”

Sandy nodded.

Nick smirked and said: “Show me the face again.”

The Sandman did as requested. The girl's face appeared. Nick's eyes narrowed for a few moments, and then closed as he titled his head back. Jack thought he heard the man hum.

“Katica... Katica Mlaka. She wanted new boots and a fishing pole so she could go out with her grandfather to the river and lake,” Santa Claus recited. Then he opened his eyes and stared at the other two who appeared impressed by the recall. “Da, this is a place I can send you straight to. She lives in Gozd Martuljek. Let me go get a globe ready.”

Nick turned and departed without having to be asked. Jack faced Sandy with a bit of a sheepish demeanor. The Sandman watched him with a curious look.

“I... ah, um... sorry, Sandy. I should've trusted you knew what you're doing,” Jack confessed his guilty feelings. “Who else better to find a child than Santa, eh?”

The Sandman shot him a small grin and tilted his head once. He made it clear he did not take insult. Instead, Hiccup's face came into view over his head, except this time it achieved the quality of a sculpture since Sandy could work from someone's real memories. At the same time, a stray thought entered Jack's thinking and he followed it.

“You know you could've taken us right to her house,” he said through a smirk.

Sandy gazed at him for a second and then shrugged his shoulders. Jack got the impression the little man with incredible power perhaps needed Nick's assistance. The logic began to piece itself together: Nick knew of every child on the planet and saw to them throughout the year. The Sandman by and large looked after everyone on the planet since everyone needed sleep and dreamed. While Sandy might focus on the young, his clientele base dwarfed the rest of the Guardian's individual mandates. As he considered the varying aspects, coming to Nick made greater sense. The man could immediately direct them to the right child and the right location.

“So, here it is,” Nick said as he returned and held aloft one of his globes that would create a transport tunnel. “The other end will open right into her bedroom. No fuss. Not bad, eh?”

“Nick, thank you!” Jack gushed in real gratitude.

“Tunnel will stay open for a while in case you need to be returned... and don't forget to let us know what you discover.”

Before either Jack or Sandy could respond, the globe flipped out of Nick's hand. Before it came into contact with the floor, a tube much like the one Bunny used opened in the air. It looked like a horizontal tornado to Jack's eyes. The Sandman, far braver than any could fathom, leaped into the tunnel. Jack prepared to follow, but a strong hand held him back.

“Jack, if this your Hiccup, then we need to plan. Many rules are at work here we cannot break. Find out what you can from the girl and return. You will need us, my friend,” the man advise in a grim voice.

“I know, and we will,” Jack promised.

Nick released him and the elemental young man hopped into the twisting tube. Jack closed his eyes and started to count. The feeling of being spun like cotton candy while simultaneously being stretched like taffy made his stomach lurch. Just when it seemed throwing up would be the best option Jack emerged into a small room. He found the Sandman sitting on the side of the bed making a little girl with curly dark hair and a face that tapered into a pointed chin giggle in response to some jest. She looked up when Jack appeared, stunned at first, but then began to smile.

“You're the one who makes the pictures in the frost on my windows!” She burbled.

“I am, and I am Jack Frost, at your service,” he said with a bow and a flourish of one hand. “And I heard you were a brave little girl not that long ago.”

“Brave?” She asked.

“Yes, Katica...”

She gasped and smiled even more when Jack said her name. Her beautiful dark eyes became round and glittered with excitement. Jack felt a wave of energy roll through him.

“You saw a dragon and didn't run away!”

“I wanted to run away,” Katica pouted, her eyes glanced down at her plain blue, red, and white striped nightgown. “It yelled at my dada-papa when he was trying to help that man. It was scary.”

“I bet. I know I was kind of afraid of them the first time I saw dragons, but now I know a whole bunch... and I even know the one you saw,” Jack informed her as though he told her a secret while strolling away from the transport tube toward her bed.

Sandy watched him with an interested expression on his face.

“You know that black dragon?” Katica asked and did not mask her awe.

“I do, and his name is Toothless.”

“Yeah,” Katica breathed the word, “but he said it kind of funny... like Sec does 'cause he's missing his front tooth.”

Jack and the Sandman exchanged a glance. Jack floated up over the footboard of the bed and tucked his feet under his bottom. Then he slowly sank until it appeared he sat on the end of the bed. Katica watched with wonder etched on every part of being.

“Do you remember anything he said? We're trying to find him and help him,” Jack said, clearly and outrageously appealing to her better nature.

“I don't know. Dada-papa said he couldn't understand what the man said, and he said the man didn't speak like we do... but he figured out the man and the dragon were trying to go somewhere. Dada-papa said he thought they were trying to get to Finland.”

While Jack continued to focus on the girl and act as through a normal conversation took place, he saw in his peripheral vision when Sandy frowned for a brief moment. The girl toyed with the hem of nightgown as she recalled the event. Katica appeared hesitant.

“I think he got hurt 'cause dada-papa did something to his arm and that's what made the dragon mad. That's why it yelled like it did,” she continued. She looked to Jack, then Sandy, and then back again. “Dada-papa said I can't talk about the man and the dragon 'cause no one will believe me, but you believe me so I don't understand why I can't talk about it.”

“Do you think people will believe you when you tell them you met the Sandman and Jack Frost?” Jack inquired.

“No. Nobody believes anything I say any more ever since I told them about Father Christmas coming here.”

“Want to hear a secret?”

“Yeah!” Katica eagerly replied.

Jack leaned forward and said: “We know Father Christmas, too. He's the one who gave us your name and showed us how to get here.”

“He did?”

“Yes, and Father Christmas said you like to go fishing with your grandfather.”

“I do! And I got new boots just to go with him... and that's why we found the dragon and the man: we were fishing and Dada-papa saw the tracks in the mud from the dragon,” she told them. Then she cast a suspicious glance at Jack. “You're really not afraid of that black dragon?”

“No, honestly,” the Guardian answered and held up his left hand as if to swear an oath. “We're actually friends. I've flown on his back many times...”

“But you can already fly!” Katica interjected.

“Sure, but who wouldn't want to fly on a dragon?”

“Dada-papa said he wanted to ride on the dragon, too. The man told him he couldn't 'cause the helichoppers kept chasing them and the dragon was tired... but it sure didn't sound tired.”

“Hiccup and Toothless got chased by helicopters?” Jack blurted the question.

“Hitch-oop,” Katica said and rolled her eyes the only way a young girl can to express feigned exasperation.

“Hitch what?”

“Hitch-oop. His name is Hitch-oop, not Hiccup like he's got the hiccups.”

Jack looked at Sandy, and the small man with golden hair simply shrugged his shoulders. After a few seconds of wondering at the strange pronunciation of the name, he returned his focus to the girl who studied him with a rather intense expression. Jack smiled. Katica's cheeks turned rosy and she smiled in return.

“How long ago did you see the man and the dragon?” Jack inquired.

“Um... not yesterday,” the girl replied while lifting her chin and staring off into the distance. “And not the day before 'cause it was too rainy to go fishing. So... I think... maybe six or seven days ago. Seven, I think.”

Jack remained perfectly still and forced himself control all outward expressions. While the girl provided useful information, he also learned the trail would be cold. In the back of his mind, Jack calculated how far and fast Hiccup might risk flying Toothless. A radius of over a thousand miles in diameter took shape in his mind, and the numerous places were the flying duo could be assaulted by helicopters turned into a long list.

“Can I ask you else something now?” The younger Guardian queried as he filed and stored the information for later consideration so as not to immediately panic.

“Yeah, go ahead,” the girl agreed, nodding her head and sending her curly hair bouncing.

“Now that you know the dragon is a friend of mine and not really scary...”

“But he yelled when dada-papa tried to help the man!”

“Did... Hitch-oop yell first?”

Katica nodded.

“Then Toothless was reacting to that and that's all. He's really a nice dragon and very friendly when not being chased,” Jack told her in a soothing voice, “so you don't have to be afraid of them anymore. They're really friends.”

“Really, and I mean really really, really?” She asked and shot each of the Guardians a stern look.

Sandy nodded and made an ex mark over his heart to swear he told the truth.

“They're some of my best friends who I care about very much, and I really need to help them. You helped them by talking to us.”

“I did?” The girl whispered.

“You did, and you should be proud of yourself,” Jack responded. “I'll tell Father Christmas you've been especially good, but I think he already knows.”

Katica beamed a huge smile and nodded her head.

Hiccup's head snapped upward when he heard the door bolt slide back. He loathed the idea of another pointless meeting with his captors when they could not even exchange simple words. Moreover, his worry over Toothless continuously plagued him at all hours. Unless he lost complete track of time, and he could not deny the possibility, at least five days passed since they got captured. Hiccup knew Toothless' limits, and the span of time did not bode well.

“Na Twojej nodze. Ale już!” The woman with the long and oddly dangerous-looking metal contraption in her hand said in an unpleasant tone.

Hiccup stared at her. Dressed in black and with light behind her, his guard's visage became difficult to read. He heard her huff. Then end of the metal rod with the opening lifted several times in the air.

“Na Twojej nodze!” She repeated.

Hiccup guessed she wanted him to stand, so he did so as slowly as he could. The metal rod remained pointed at him. He feared what might come out of the opening. Hiccup thought back to the night the two flying machines gave chase trying to corner them and force a landing. The sharp rat-a-tat sounds and the howl of Toothless still reverberated in his mind. Moreover, Hiccup did not blame his beloved friend when he fired two plasma blasts and destroyed both machines. Later, when they landed, he saw the neat holes in the mainsail of the dragon's right wing. Both unfortunately and fortunately, punctures to wings occurred rather frequently to dragons, and he aptly covered the wounds with the medical kit he carried. Thus, the Viking believed the metal rod in the woman's hand a weapon capable of punching holes in him.

His guard raised one hand, extended one finger, and rotated it in a circle. Hiccup did as commanded. He turned a half-circle. Another set of feet pounded into his cell. As usual, his arms got ruff treatment as the wrists got bound behind his back. For reasons Hiccup could not fathom, these people feared him. Perhaps, he wondered, they did not realize how terrified they made him. Seconds after his hands got bound, the black hood went over his head. It felt like the same material as his one-piece suit of clothing, except not in garish orange. In some ways, being blinded brought him a sense of relief.

Hiccup did not have to think as he got roughly shoved in whatever direction they wanted him to walk. As they progressed, it dawned on the Viking they moved in a new direction. One part of his mind became curious, but the other and larger part not only argued caution but perversely recommended a state of panic as a viable alternative. Hiccup felt his knees grow weak while contemplating exactly what might happen. The farther they walked, the more convinced he became that they meant him no good whatsoever. His mouth went dry and his brain began to wrestle with the notion he likely faced his final moments. Try as he might, the Viking could not focus enough to work on his mental map.

“Weź od niego kaptur,” a familiar female voice ordered when the long walk ended with several sounds he did not like in the least.

The black cloth covering his head got roughly removed. Hiccup blinked as the harsh light overhead stung his eyes. His eyes fluttered as his vision adjusted. As he thought, the one person who seemed to possess a modicum of sympathy stood next to a heavy metal door. The rounded ends of large rivets visible on the door's surface spoke in every language. Hiccup glanced from the blonde-haired woman to the door and back again. She did not smile and held his eyes for several long moments.

“Wir brauchen Sie, um Ihr Tier zu untersuchen. Es scheint... krank,” said the woman dressed in her a dark blue jacket and skirt, except this time she wore a red blouse instead of the usual pale yellow. As always, her muted gold hair got pulled into a tight bun at the back of her head. It made her gray eyes appear cold.

Hiccup blinked at her. When he did not answer, she directed her gaze to the guards. No one moved.

“Nie zdajesz sobie sprawę, że nie jest zagrożeniem?” She grumped at them.

“Mamy swoje rozkazy, Kapitanie,” the female and male guard said in unison.

Hiccup shook his head. He wished they spoke a language he understood. Once more he wondered why he could understand Jack but not these people. Of course, Jack tended to present an entirely different case, and it seemed magic played a significant role.

“Dobrze? Nie stój tak! Jest więcej niż wystarczająco strażników tu już,” the apparent leader of this small team said in a stern tone.

It astounded Hiccup when the guards nodded and then stepped back after letting go of him. The blonde woman stared at him again. Then he took him by the left arm, just above the elbow, and pressed a series of small buttons on a raised panel next to the door. A few seconds later a green light appeared above the buttons, a loud buzzing sound rang out, and the door popped open a small bit. His new escort grabbed the inset handle and hauled it open. She then guided the Viking into a new room. The dim light made it hard to see. When his eyes finally adjusted, Hiccup's stomach sank and tears sprang to his eyes.

“Toothless,” he whispered the name.

Five yards in front of him the dragon lay bound on the floor. A tight fitting cage encased the ebony head. Chains and straps secured the legs and wings. Even his tail got bound. However and far and above the appalling scene of his base captivity, Toothless did not appear well. The creature barely raised his head and his eyes only opened a slit. All told, the dragon appeared very unwell. Hiccup choked back a sob. He turned to the woman with pleading eyes.

“Helfen Sie ihm, wenn Sie können,” she said in the strange tongue and yet managed to sound concerned. “Aber denken Sie daran, dass sie ihn töten werden, wenn er drohende Gesten macht..”

Before he knew entirely what to make of the new situation, her right hand lowered and suddenly his hands sprang free after a quick tug. Hiccup raised his hands. A series of clicks issued around him. He looked up and saw the guards all pointing their insidious looking black metal tubes at him. Hiccup lowered his hands. The guards, dressed in black like all guards in the hellish establishment, did not change their positions. He glanced at the woman again, and she pointed to Toothless.

Hiccup took a tentative step forward. The guards did nothing more than keep their devices trained on him. He walked quickly to the dragon's head and dropped to his knees. Toothless groaned, but it came out far too softly for the night fury. Hiccup cradled the hand while bending at the waist, and kissed the dry hide.

“He needs water,” the Viking begged.

No one responded.

“Water? Water?” Hiccup said again, and this time he mimicked taking a drink from a cup. He looked to his lead capture and repeated the gesture.

“Uzyskaj mu wiadro z wodą,” she said in a stern tone.

He watched while one of the guards went to another strange panel set into the wall. The man pressed a button and barked as series of words into some sort of small piece of mesh. Then he returned to his position and aimed the threatening tube at the Viking once more.

Hiccup then busied himself trying to figure out how to remove the cage from Toothless' head. He just managed to touch a metal lock hanging from back of the head cage when footsteps instantly pounded around him. Then he felt the metal tubes get pressed against his head. The young Viking man halted his actions.

“Daj mu klucz do klatki,” the lead woman said in a harsh manner.

None moved or responded.

“Ta istota umiera z pragnienia, na wszelki wypadek, gdybyś nie zauważył, a on nie może pić z klatką na głowie.”

Hiccup recognized the tone of an exasperated leader asking subordinates a patently obvious question. He often sounded the same when dealing with Ruffnut and Tuffnut. He carefully glanced around.

“Wiesz, co to, co zrobił?” One guard snapped in response.

“Nie, ale spojrzeć na portach gun tutaj? Daj mi klucz do klatki głowy.” The only person who seemed the least bit concerned about him half-yelled at the guards.

By the count of three, the guards scurried. Most headed out a door in the rear of the room after the buzzing sound emerged, and the fifth trotted to woman and handed her something. He then left the room by the same exit. He female captor walked toward him. Toothless did not utter a single warning. She squatted down next to him, and then held aloft a small golden key. Hiccup quickly put the pieces together and reached for it. She pulled it away from him before he grab it. Then she pointed to the wall, indicating a series of spots.

“Ah, that I understand,” Hiccup said after spying the small square openings with ends of weapons sticking through and pointed at him. He nodded to her.

She handed him the key. He refrained from moving as she rose to her feet and began to gradually back up to the entrance of the room. The buzz punctured the air, the door popped opened a little, and she pulled further open. His captor passed through and it closed the heavy door with a dull thud of finality. 

Hiccup wasted no time in jamming the key into the lock, a far more clever device than any concocted on his world, and removed it. Then then pried the two halves of the cage apart, also engineered far more precisely than anything he crafted, to free Toothless' head. When it came off, the dragon sighed and yawned.

“Don't fire a single shot,” he warned as he pulled the now free noggin of Toothless into a tight hug.

The man and dragon sat together in silence for over a minute. Hiccup cried quietly at the condition of Toothless, but also a feeling of joy swept through him at being reunited. Most important came the fact he knew Toothless to be alive. Toothless hardly stirred a muscle, but he cooed several times. Suddenly a harsh grating noise filled the room. Hiccup swiveled his head just in time to see a blue bucket slide through a portal at the bottom of the door in the rear wall. The portal hatch closed with the same sound. Something inside barely sparkled in the dim light. Hiccup got up to investigate.

He immediately identified the water and trotted over as fast as he manacled legs would allow. After a small taste test to make certain the water potable and not poisoned, Hiccup dragged the bucket made of stiff but flexible material over to his friend. He knelt down and lifted Toothless' head.

“It's water, bud. Good water. I tried it,” he said in encouragement. “You need to drink it.”

It took him a few tries to figure out how to hold Toothless' head so the animal could drink. On the fourth attempt, Toothless seemed to understand. In six seconds – Hiccup counted – the dragon drained the bucket. He knew how much Toothless could drink when parched, so he grabbed the bucket and ran back over to the door. He set it down in front of the portal and stepped back.

“He needs more, please!” He called out and imitated drinking again. Then he stepped far away from the bucket. Several seconds later, including watching the black metal tubes follow his every move, the hatch opened, a hand snagged the bucket, and it disappeared behind a quickly lowered hatch.

In less than minute a replenished bucket appeared. Hiccup repeated the process with Toothless and proceeded to beg for more. The scenario played out a third time, and then again. On the fifth go around, Toothless only drank half a bucket's worth. The addition of water to the dragon caused a profoundly positive change. Toothless appeared to be somewhat revitalized, but hardly up to his usual standard. Hiccup sat next to his friend, hugging the thick neck, and thinking over his next move. Despite wanting nothing more than to spend days and days next to his dragon, Hiccup stood and moved to the center of the room.

“Toothless needs food, too,” the Viking spoke aloud even though only a dragon occupied the room with him. Experience taught him these people constantly monitored him. “Food!”

Hiccup made a show of eating imaginary food, and then pointing to the dragon. He performed the gestures over and over. Finally, the front door buzzed and clicked. The Viking turned and watched his captor enter. She glanced warily at the dragon.

“Toothless, she's a friend,” he pleaded with Toothless when the dragon's lips began to curl. “They'll kill both of us if you do anything. Just be calm, bud.”

Toothless closed his mouth, but his eyes remained fixed on the woman. Hiccup slowly walked toward her. He noted half of the metal pipes sticking out of the wall followed his progress. When he got within a yard, Hiccup stopped. He and the blond woman stood regarding one another for a moment. When a long period of utter silence passed, Hiccup pointed to woman, and then pantomimed the act of writing in the air. His captor tilted her head with questions in her eyes. Hiccup repeated the act two more time.

“Dies?” She seemed to ask after removing the unusual writing implement from a pocket on her jacket.

Hiccup nodded.

The woman then pulled a small packet of paper bound together with thin loops of metal, a design Hiccup vowed to remember, and held it aloft. Hiccup nodded again. She carefully crouched and placed both on the floor. Hiccup took half a step forward until he heard the frightening clicks made by the metal rods. He stopped. The lead captor backed out of the room.

When the door thudded closed, Hiccup walked over to the paper and writing instrument. As much as he wanted to do nothing more than take the writing tool apart and examine its operation, he refrained and pressed the top as he saw the woman do. A nib emerged from the bottom. He picked up the small notebook and glanced at the thin light blue horizontal lines on the sheet. The creative side of him approved of the method to insure proper spacing between letters, but he wanted to draw. He did. Hiccup produced three simple drawings: one of a fish, one of deer, and one of a sheep. Then he drew a more complex picture of Toothless gnawing on a nondescript hunk.

“Food. He needs to eat,” he said again while setting the paper pack and writing implement down on the floor by the door. He backed up until he reached Toothless and resumed sitting next to the dragon.

The door opened while Toothless rested his head in Hiccup's lap and the woman returned. Hiccup scratched his friend in all the favorite spots, and the dragon softly trilled in pleasure. The woman watched them before she scooped up the items on the floor. She glanced at the four pages, and her eyes shifted to Hiccup. He gave her an expected, pleading gaze.

“Ja,” she quietly said. “Wir können ihm zu essen zu geben. Es wird eine Weile dauern, so dass nur mit dem Tier zu sitzen und halten Sie es ruhig.”

The words rolled incomprehensibly past Hiccup. He watched as she exited the room, the door closed, and nothing else happened. It appeared he could visit with the dragon for a while, so the Viking took full advantage. His efforts, however, got limited by the fact his friend remained completely bound. Regardless, Hiccup spent half an hour gently talking to the dragon, offering words of encouragement he did not truly feel, and tried to make Toothless feel as normal as possible under the circumstances. For a brief moment he forgot they sat captive facing an uncertain future. Only when the hatch slid open and two buckets slid through did he remember their predicament.

Hiccup stood and walked to the buckets. He noticed the odor first, but as a child of the sea as much of the sky, the stink of less than fresh fish did not bother him. Furthermore, Toothless' head rose up in anticipation since his far finer sense detected the scent as well. Hiccup hauled both buckets over. The dragon struggled to assume a crouching position. The most he accomplished landed him on his knees. However, Hiccup knew the dragon could now eat, and eat the dragon did. Less than five minutes later, the two buckets lay licked clean. Toothless gave Hiccup a hungry look.

“I think that's all we can expect,” he sadly informed his friend.

Toothless snorted in frustration.

The front door popped open for a split second, a slip of paper fluttered in, and the door closed. Hiccup extricated himself from under Toothless and went to retrieve the sheet. On it he found a crude drawing of the dragon's head except caged. Hiccup's heart sank as he realized he would have to return his friend to the miserable condition. Yet part of him knew if he did not the dragon would never see another day. He walked over to Toothless with a glum air about him. He picked up the head cage and lock from where he tossed it aside.

“Sorry, bud,” he dejectedly stated, “but I've got to put this back on you.” 

Toothless stared at him without understanding. Hiccup knelt down beside the creature, remorse flooding his every limb, and held out the cage. Toothless reared back his head in disgust.

“Toothless, they'll kill you if you don't let me put it back on you. I can't let that happen. Please, for me, just... live... with it for now,” he implored.

Hiccup slowly approached and began to slip the cage over his friend's blocky, large head. Toothless growled and appeared thoroughly disappointed in Hiccup. A large part of the Viking felt as though he betrayed his best friend, yet certainty these Earth people would annihilate the dragon never left him. A caged and chained Toothless, however horrific, seemed far better than a dead Toothless. It became the lesser of two evils. The snap of the lock nearly broke Hiccup's heart.

“I am so sorry, Toothless,” he whispered to the now confined dragon. He kissed the head through the metal grate. “Please, forgive me.”

Toothless rumbled, but in no definite tone Hiccup immediately recognized. The hardest part came next. He released the dragon's head, reluctantly, and stepped back into the middle of the room. Since he could well imagine what they wanted, Hiccup stood with his head bowed and his hands behind his back. Both the front and rear door simultaneously opened. Guards swarmed in. Toothless began to growl.

“No, bud. Now it's my turn,” Hiccup told his best winged friend.

In short order Hiccup became bound and hooded. Throughout the experience the dragon continued to rumble with extreme displeasure. Hiccup's final view came in the form of a night fury with narrowed eyes staring death at their captors. If free from his bonds, Hiccup believed the Toothless would attack them. Hiccup realized it would be the last, brave act of the mighty dragon. Thus, when the world went dark on him, the Viking wanted nothing more than to be taken out of the room before Toothless began to react and overreact.

He got his wish.


	9. Chapter 9

“This is... ridiculous!” Hiccup shouted at Jack whose white hair slowly changed to brown. “Do they have any idea what this is doing to you?”

Jack did not react to the yelling, instead throwing a sheepish look at the irate Viking who walked angrily from one side of the bedroom to the other. The Guardian stole a glance at the bored looking dragon on his raised nest, but who followed the actions of his rider. It seemed the creature knew about the human's mood. Over the previous nearly three months since being granted a mortal life, Hiccup grew increasingly upset at Jack having to carry out his duties as a Guardian on Halla. The argument stretched back four weeks at the least.

“How can you live a mortal life if you spend half your time... more than half your time as Isemaler? Mortals don't do that!” The Viking railed.

“I know,” Jack meekly agreed.

“Then tell them they've got to change this. It isn't fair to you,” Hiccup demanded after coming to a halt and wheeling around to face the immortal young man.

“Or you,” the Guardian added.

“Either of us!”

Hiccup's nostrils flared. They did each time he truly got upset. Flush streaks ran up each side of the muscular neck, blending in with the freckles on the cheeks and at the temples. Hiccup ran a hand through his thick, russet hair in frustration. Underneath the anger, the Spirit of Fun saw the passion in the young man. It attracted him to Hiccup like a moth to a flame. He felt his now human blood begin to rise.

“You know they can hear you?” Jack told him.

“Good! I want them to hear me!” Hiccup hollered and looked upward. “Can you hear me? I hope so because this deal you made with Jack is not the deal you wanted him to have. You didn't grant him a mortal life. Do you hear me?”

Hiccup's shout got met by a loud peel of thunder. The Viking suddenly looked abashed. He glanced at Jack.

“They heard,” Jack assured him of the obvious, “but I don't know if they'll do anything about it. The Man in the Moon isn't here, you know: this is Noro's demesne.” 

“But he came here when they asked. I was there. Remember?”

Nearly three months of living in close proximity with the former chieftain of Hairy Hooligans taught the Guardian a few things. First and foremost Jack discovered that Hiccup usually needed to blow off steam, vent his emotions, before his rational mind could take firm hold. Arguing with him at this point would prove pointless and, at worse, begin an unnecessary heated exchange. Hence, Jack surrendered to the immediate needs and let his mate explode as required.

“What were they thinking? What were you thinking when you agreed to this? Being mortal and being immortal are mutually exclusive, and you can't have one while having the other. It doesn't work!” Hiccup ranted.

Jack nodded his head. In truth, he did agree. His stints as Isemaler caused other problems to emerge. Sometimes a new issue erupted at the worst possible times. Hiccup often got left having to explain Jack's sudden absences, and the excuse of seeming human's recovery from the ordeal at sea often got met by dismissive glances. Sooner or later, and both agreed on this point, somebody would figure out Jack's real identity. Neither could guess what would happen on that day, and the Berkian civil war stood as grim reminder as to how Vikings could react to surprises. Unfortunately, Jack failed at divining a plan. Hiccup did not fare any better.

“What do they expect of you?” The young Viking man harrumphed and sat down on the edge of the bed.

Jack walked on his knees to where his mate sat in heated frustration. Without needing to be asked or asking for permission, he began to knead the shoulders of the dragon rider through the heavy green shirt. Hiccup sighed and his head lolled at the ministration. He withheld the real reason for his concern, and the one that continually set him into a bad mood. Hiccup could never forget the result of the trip the elemental man took that wound up costing him his immortal life. Although he refused to admit it, he continued to experience vivid nightmares regarding that day except it took place in the present.

“You're tensing up again,” Jack lightly scolded him while applying greater force to his actions. “What's really bothering you, Hiccup?”

“I just don't get how gods...”

“They're not gods.”

“From my perspective, those are gods, Jack. Thursar controls the winter and he sure doesn't look like any human I've ever met!”

“Ever take a good look at Bucket?” Jack dryly remarked.

“You know what I mean,” Hiccup gruffly retorted while trying to keep the edges of his mouth stationary. “Why would they demand you keep on acting as... Isemaler if they knew it would limit how you could live a normal life?”

Jack sat back. Hiccup turned around and stared at his unusual and much loved companion. With darker hair and darker eyebrows, Jack tended to appear more serious than in his Guardian form. Hiccup study the delicious brown eyes.

“Out with it?” The Viking half-ordered.

“It was my fault, Hiccup,” Jack answered and gazed in the striking green eyes. “I created the need for Isemaler. Once children started to believe in me... gave me substance, it couldn't end. There's a... an Isemaler-shaped hole in this world that needs to be filled. Right now, I'm the only one who can fill it.”

“I have an Isemaler-shaped hole that needs filling, too!” Hiccup snapped.

He watched as Jack's lips curled under and over his teeth, his cheeks turn a bright red, and his body started to shudder. After a few seconds, a short series of snorts rattled through the room. Three more seconds later, Hiccup understood the levity.

“That's not what I meant!” He ranted as his face began to radiate a crimson color.

“Um... partly,” Jack whispered through a giggle.

“Well... maybe,” Hiccup mumbled.

Jack threw his head back and burst out laughing. He leaned forward and snagged Hiccup into a fierce hug. The Viking responded in kind. They no longer feared interruption from Valka since she took up semi-residence in the dragon cavern, a move both young men protested to no avail. However, they came to appreciate her decision and resolve. The next hour they spent together proved privacy came with distinct advantages. Hiccup sensed Jack needed the release of tension as much as he after a night of carrying out his Guardian duties.

“Long night?” Hiccup cooed into Jack's ear when they flopped back on the bed soaked with sweat and much relieved.

“Life isn't easy here, Hiccup. The child mortality rate is a lot higher than anyone realizes.”

Over the course of three months, Hiccup learned a vast array of new language as Jack described his duties and his thoughts regarding various aspects of the world as he saw it. Often the Viking thought the Guardian did not fully appreciate the intellect housed in the elemental head. Whether by nature or by training, Jack tended to analyze everything. Given that he lived a very odd and relatively dangerous existence as the Spirit of Fun, Hiccup viewed such analytic prowess as a necessity.

“Are children safer on Earth?” He inquired with real interest.

“I think... no, not really, I guess. Some parts are safer for children, but it can be a pretty hard life on a lot of Earth as well. Sometimes it's like all our technological advances don't mean a thing because they don't benefit those who need it the most,” Jack replied in a flat voice.

Hiccup momentarily forgot his complaint regarding Jack's double existence. The tone and word choice of the elemental young man indicated a very disturbing encounter. While Jack tried not to burden him with the details, Hiccup worked extra hard to make his mate open up and reveal what troubled him. Another of those moments arrived.

“What did you see, Jack? I know it's bothering you and you won't sleep if you don't talk about it,” the Viking prompted the Guardian.

Jack turned his head and stared at the broad, honest face of Hiccup. Hiccup allowed his lips to form a tiny, sympathetic smile. He also reached up, caressed Jack's face, and moved damp hair out of his eyes. Jack caught the hand with his own and kissed the palm.

“Manglers,” he nearly inaudibly said the name into the hand in front of his face.

“No,” Hiccup breathed. “How bad?”

Jack lowered the hand, and Hiccup watched as tears slid out of Jack's eyes.

“Gone... a whole village just... gone. All the houses were burned and too many scorched bodies to count. Old... young... they just don't care. They even killed the sheep and the three cows. What's wrong with those people?”

The question came out of the Guardian as a desperate plea. Hiccup saw real pain in Jack's eyes. It violated everything for which the young man lived both as a mortal and an immortal. The Viking understood the distress in the face. He, himself, lived under a constant cloud of possible invasion by other tribes. Only the presence of the dragons and trained riders, numbers Hiccup knew he needed to increase, afforded Berk a sense of relative peace and security. However, knowledge other tribes also learned the art of dragon training lurked in his brain. Memories of what Drago Bludvist accomplished would never leave him.

“It's the cold and the sea and the rock and... all the uncertainty that goes into living on this world,” Hiccup intoned, voicing some of his more private thoughts. “It used to be the fight against dragons, but now... we focus on each other again. I don't know why. It just seems to be the way we are.”

Jack nodded and said: “Do you still think about the war?”

Hiccup took his turn nodding.

“Ever figure out why it got started?”

“Fear,” Hiccup dryly said without hesitation. “Fear that day would be the last good day. Fear of a new leader they didn't know or understand. Fear I'd left them to fend for themselves and they didn't know how. All that fear, Jack, just... goes to their heads and... whoomp!”

“There was a philosopher on Earth who created this... analogy of the cave,” Jack said and peered into the distance.

Hiccup kept silent since he could see the wheels spinning in Jack's head.

“He said that man... people are like cavemen who sit and stare at the back wall. All they can see are the shadows made by the fire in the cave and from the sun coming in from the outside, except they don't know to turn around and look at the sun. They don't even know half those shadows are them. Their world is just a confusing mix of flickering light and dark, and it makes them afraid... until one of them turns around and sees the sun and sees what creates the shadows. That's when progress happens. It's slow and stupid and awkward, but it happens.”

“So what happens when they face the sun?” Hiccup pressed since he could see talking calmed the troubled thoughts in the one he loved.

“They learn. That's what education is supposed to be: turning around and facing the sun and figuring out the difference between light and shadows. Know when that happened to you?”

Hiccup shook his head.

“When you looked at Toothless and didn't see a killer dragon, but a creature just as lonely and frightened as you. That's the moment when you looked into the sun, and look where the light led you,” explained Jack.

“Do you know how much I love you, Jack?” The Viking asked but did not wait for an answer. “How much I love when you find a way to make me see things for what they really are? This is why I hate when you have to go and be Isemaler half the time. It's like they don't understand how much I need you... how much Berk needs you.”

“What about the rest of the world... all the children?” The Guardian queried, and Hiccup definitely heard the Guardian voice.

“Am I being selfish?”

The two stared into the eyes of the other searching for answers to a whole host of unspoken questions. Hiccup felt them connect on a different plane, and he longed to have that each waking moment of his life. Without needing to be told, he knew Jack understood him. In the same right, he felt he understood much about the immortal.

“If anyone's earned it, you have,” Jack said. “You... made your people turn and face the sun, and it cost you. You saved your clan and the dragons how many times?”

“I didn't do it alone.”

“But you led the way. Gobber says that's why your father wanted you to be chief: you could see what these people needed and how to get them to a new place. So... I guess you get to be greedy every once in a while.”

“And what about you? Is your life just service to others all the time...

“Yes,” Jack responded before the question got finished. “It's why I have these abilities, Hiccup. The Man in the Moon gave me these powers because he believed in me before anyone else. He saw something in me I couldn't even see for myself for a long time. If I don't use... these gifts, then what good am I?”

Hiccup's mouth flopped open in disbelief. He always understood Jack viewed himself strongly along the lines of his role as a Guardian, but he never fathomed it formed the whole of his psyche. Hiccup did not simply view himself as a dragon rider: he regarded his roles as trainer, a friend, a son, a Viking, and the mate to one of the most extraordinary beings ever to exist as equally important. He needed all those parts to in order to feel complete. For the first time, he worried about Jack's singular identity.

“You're not, ah, going to like what I'm about to say, but... I don't need you to be a Guardian to love you,” Hiccup stated and saw the reaction on Jack's face. “Yes, yes, it's important and I admire what you do so much I can't even say it right, but... you are so much more than a Guardian, Jack Frost. Don't ignore the other stuff that makes you... you. I don't think that's what your Man in the Moon really wanted for you.”

Jack stared at him in silence.

“Look, didn't he say to you you're going to go back to him so much more than what you are now? How can you become more if all you focus on is being a Guardian? For Thor's sake, Jack, I don't think you can get any better at being that!”

Jack slowly started to smile and said: “Maybe that's what I'm here to learn. Maybe that's the sun I have to see.”

“And what am I supposed to learn being here?” Hiccup asked the emptiness surrounding him in the cell on Earth. “I can't even see the sun.”

Hiccup stared at his reflection in the mirrored wall. He still could not figure out how these people managed to make such a perfectly reflective surface, even after he touched the surface and examined it as much as he could. It simply felt like superbly made glass. However, his thoughts of Jack left him feeling lonely even when they proved to be the only source of succor he could find.

The Viking thought about fear because he got another unwanted visit from the cruel, strange creature with the pulsing orange eyes. It tried to taunt him, make him doubt Toothless lived, and conjuring the feeling of abandonment and loneliness already swirling around in his head. Hiccup ignored the rasping voice and simply told it to go away. Once more it asked why Jack Frost did not save him. After the being left, the thoughts gnawed at Hiccup. He still could not imagine how a being as powerful as Jack could not know of his presence on the planet. Moreover, he wondered about the other vaunted Guardians. How, he wondered, could they be unaware of him?

“'Cause I'm not a child,” Hiccup answered his own query. “That's their focus. Adults are supposed to take care of themselves.”

Hiccup sat huddled in a corner with his knees pulled close to his chest. He stared at the startling orange one-piece suit of clothing he wore. He longed for his flight armor. He could almost smell the leather and lanolin used to soften it. Hiccup could also smell the slightly musky aroma of dragon that quickly impregnated the leather from the constant contact with the creatures. A glance at the replacement peg leg, a poorly carved stump of wood, made him cringe. In nearly every conceivable manner, he felt stripped of everything that defined his being and life. He often wondered exactly how the term adrift at sea got applied to people, and now Hiccup possessed a far too intimate understanding of the phrase. Like a ship without rudder or sail, he felt devoid of ability to guide his own life. Without at least Toothless or Jack next to him, he felt robbed of a reason for being.

“I don't know how to escape this,” he finally admitted out loud, and then lowered his head down to his arms draped across his knees.

“Jack!” He yelled in his memories of the point two days after they discussed the underlying cause of Hiccup's anger at Jack's role as Isemaler. “It's not the full moon yet! Why are you changing?”

“I... don't...” Jack whispered as he rapidly changed form.

Normally the transition took two or three minutes, but Hiccup watched as his mate went from mortal to Guardian in less than thirty seconds. His hair turned white, his skin grew pale with a bluish tint, irises faded from brown to ice-blue, and his clothes reverted to the leather britches and hooded sweatshirt with frost designs along the arms and shoulders. The magic staff flew across the room and landed right next to the Guardian as he lay prone on the dining area floor. Jack's left hand instinctively clasped it. The rapid transformation scared Hiccup for Jack since only a dire need could possible cause such a swift change.

“Jack,” Hiccup gulped the word while trying to hold his emotions in check. He resorted to his training as a dragon rider and Viking warrior, but also his creative and inquisitive mind.

One aspect puzzled him as Hiccup forced himself to slide into a neutral mindset. He stared at Jack now in full Guardian regalia. The more he stared, the more something seemed amiss. He gazed and studied and made mental notes. Everything seemed correct in regard Jack's physical Guardian appearance, but it still seemed off. A minute flew by while the Viking struggled to comprehend the difference.

“Wait a second,” he murmured, “I can still see you perfectly. You're not a... a shadow of yourself.”

Hiccup narrowed his eyes in bewilderment and suspicion. Whenever Jack made the trip back to Earth, what got left behind seemed to be just a dim, smoky, and translucent image of the Guardian. As he did several times in the past, Hiccup sat and kept watch over Jack's inert form while trying to discern what occurred. He reached out a tentative hand, and it passed through the immortal body even though it looked solid.

“So you're not really here... but you're here,” Hiccup mumbled.

A grunt above his head caused the Viking to look upward. Toothless stared down from the stairwell opening on the second floor. Hiccup gauged the dragon's reaction. His winged friend did not appear distressed. The ebony face seemed more curious than anything.

“Is he okay, bud?” Hiccup asked.

Toothless snorted once, and then lay down with his head partially dangling over the side. It appeared the dragon wanted to witness the event as well. The lack of growling or panic on Toothless' part went a long way in calming his rider. Hiccup shifted his gaze back to the form that lay on the floor.

Although no more than three hours passed, it seemed a small eternity when the front door of the home rattled from the heavy pounding it received. His mother never knocked in that manner, and Hiccup immediately suspected Snotlout stood on the other side. This puzzled him since his friend never once visited after the death of Hookfang. Whenever the two met, it occurred because Hiccup took the initiative. Whoever stood on the other side hammered on the door again.

“Hiccup? Are you in there?” Fishlegs' voice crept through the thick planks of the door. “You missed the council meeting. Hiccup?”

The door received yet another round of abuse. Toothless grumbled from above. Hiccup stood and went to the door. He opened it slowly so as not to expose Jack's figure on the floor in case other council members joined the stout, blonde Viking.

“Oh, gods, what happened to him now?” Fishlegs inquired in an almost bland manner.

“Who?” Hiccup asked and feigned as much innocence as he could.

“Jack. That's who. You only look like this when something is wrong with him.”

Hiccup got reminded anew about the agile and quick mind of one of his best friends. He harbored no doubts that Fishlegs' intellect outweighed his by a considerable amount. Moreover, the heavyset dragon rider also proved highly observant. Thus, Hiccup gave up any pretense at being able to fool his friend.

“He just changed,” Hiccup said and opened the door.

Fishlegs stepped in, and he jangled form the myriad of implements contained in the pockets of his cleverly improvised vest. Hiccup shoved the young man further in when Fishlegs stopped walking after spying Jack lying on the floor. Once out of the way, the owner of the home finished closing the door.

“It's not the full moon... and it's not even night yet,” the brilliant young Viking said in a careful manner.

“Thank you for stating the obvious,” Hiccup sarcastically remarked.

“But I thought he only did this when he had to go back to his world?”

“That's what I thought, too.”

Together they stood and studied the inert form. Occasionally Fishlegs tugged at his fury jerkin or the over-vest. Hiccup decided to wait until his friend made the first statement.

“Is he solid?” Fishlegs asked.

“Nope.”

“He looks solid.”

“Looks can be deceiving,” Hiccup rejoined and tried to control his snarky demeanor.

“Toothless doesn't seem worried.”

Again, Fishlegs displayed his keen observational skills.

“And that worries me, Fishlegs.”

“Why? Toothless seems to know when Jack's in danger. If he's not worried, then you should relax,” Fishlegs rejoined with a touch of acerbity.

“Okay, I'm sorry I was being sarcastic, but... you were stating the obvious,” Hiccup said in acknowledgment of the nature of the exchange. “And you're right about Toothless, but I don't know why this is happening now.”

“What happened when it started?” Fishlegs inquired in his normal mode.

“Nothing... except that Jack fell to the floor. I thought he tripped, but... then he started to change and it happened so fast.”

“Oh.”

The twosome stared at the third who neither moved or even seemed to be breathing. It told Hiccup Jack not only rested in full Guardian form, but that he mentally no longer occupied what remained. When questioned why his elemental form breathed when he did not need it, Jack replied it came from his subconscious and, because he once lived as a mortal, he subconsciously remembered breathing and his elemental body responded in kind. It seemed as logical an explanation as Hiccup would ever get, so he accepted it. Thus, when Jack made the transition, Hiccup knew how much of his mind remained behind by whether or not the thin chest rose and fell. It did neither at the moment.

“Never said anything?” Fishlegs picked up his questioning.

“Not about this: not about being called,” Hiccup answered.

“So he knows in advance when this is going to happen... most of the time?”

Hiccup titled his head and gazed at Fishlegs. The round face with the blonde hair and tiny winged helmet continued to study the Guardian on the floor. However, the question he asked set Hiccup's mind in motion. He thought back to all the times he witness Jack's transition. Given he only saw three occurrences, the data became limited.

“Um... ah, I don't know,” Hiccup confessed. “I mean, we keep forgetting to count the days, and he goes back home automatically, so I can't really say.”

“You need to be more careful,' Fishlegs noted. “If you forget it's time and it happens in the great hall...”

“Oh, gods, please don't make me think of that!”

Fishlegs pressed him with a hard stare. His green eyes sparkled with intelligence and not an inconsiderable amount of silent castigation. Hiccup looked away and showed the proper amount of embarrassment.

“I know, I know. It's stupid that we forget, but... we're still getting used to this ourselves. It's not like we have a book we can run to and find out what's coming next,” the former chieftain said in flat manner, but from his peripheral vision Hiccup saw the last statement find its mark.

“Yeah,” his friend quietly agreed.

“I just wish I knew why they called him.”

“They're not here, are they?” Fishlegs asked and nervously looked about.

“No. None of them have ever been here that I know of, and I think Jack would tell me if they did stop by.”

“What are you going to tell the council this time? You can't keep saying he got sick.”

“I know.”

Fishlegs then took a seat at the table. Without asking, he helped himself to some of the now cold fish and roasted winter tubers Hiccup and Jack set out for their evening meal. Since Hiccup lost his appetite, he did not mind that his friend took liberties. The thinner of the two Vikings then took a seat at the end of the table where he could keep an easy eye on the inert Guardian.

While Fishlegs ate, he explained the happenings at the meeting Hiccup forgot to attend. Since the day he, Fishlegs, Gobber, and Valka convinced the village to try a new system of self-governing, Hiccup did his best to stay out of the people's way. He knew full well the meeting got planned for that night, but purposefully did not attend. Each time he did attend the meetings decisions got made based almost solely on his input. The people of Berk continue to view him as their de facto leader. Thus, the young Viking and ex-chieftain did his best to slowly disappear from making decisions so they would learn to rely on themselves. In this way he, as well as the others who instigated the plan, hoped to avoid any repeat of the Berk civil war.

Despite his wants and wishes, Hiccup fell into the old habit of reviewing all of the decisions made and lending comment. He prayed Fishlegs would not memorize every single statement he uttered and report to the council. They sat whiling away the time debating the merits of various plans some of the other elected officials brought forward.

“Battle sheep? Really? Who in their right mind... forget I said that,” Hiccup grumbled after hearing one particularly ludicrous scheme.

“If we could train them to carry supplies...” Fishlegs began.

“And we have dragons because?” He interrupted.

“You can't keep rejecting every idea they have, Hiccup,” his friend and fellow council member testily said. “How are they going learn if you don't let them make mistakes?”

“Let them face the sun,” a third voice said from below the table level.

Both Hiccup and Fishlegs jumped to their feet and stared down at the floor. A brown haired, brown eyed Jack stared back at them. His clothing reverted back to what he wore prior to the transformation. He blinked and gazed at the two who goggled at him.

“How long was I gone?” Jack inquired when no one moved or said a word.

“About five hours,” Hiccup responded, shook his head, and then asked: “Where did you go? Why did they call you?”

“Ah, yeah, about that,” the young man sitting on the floor said and rubbed the top of his very human-looking head. “They heard what you said the other day, and....”

“And what?”

“Hiccup, who is that?” Fishlegs asked in a quavering voice.

“Who is wha...”

Hiccup stopped when he saw a young man floating a foot off the floor by the stairwell. He bore an uncanny resemblance to Jack in his Guardian state. However, the apparent copy did not match in all details. The hair and skin coloration possessed different tones. The clothing, while a close approximation, seemed coarser and of Hallan origin. One thing, however, did not look to be a copy. The being hovering above the floor clutched the crooked staff like a crutch. Without needing to be told, Hiccup felt certain the staff of Isemaler now rested in another hand. Moreover, the young man looked equally surprised and stunned. Hiccup, Fishlegs, and, to a lesser extent, Jack reflected the same sentiment. An awkward silence persisted.

“Jack, that... that's not you is it?”

“Hair's too yellow,” Fishlegs quipped.

“Ah, no,” Jack said and stood up. “Hiccup... Fishlegs, I'd like you to meet, well, Isemaler.”

Hiccup and Fishlegs swung their heads in Jack's direction.

“They heard you, Hiccup, and they agreed, so this is the new Isemaler of Halla: the Spirit of Winter Joy,” the Guardian told them.

“Uh, hi,” Isemaler said and raised a hand in greeting.

Hiccup and Fishlegs wordlessly each raised a hand as though controlled by a puppet master.

The day after Hiccup reminisced about the arrival of the new Isemaler, Jack hunkered down in the North Pole fortress trying to figure out a way to locate the dragon rider. Three days since learning about Hiccup's mysterious appearance yielded no clues. While Nick, Bunny, Toothania and Sandy tried to help, all were at a loss on how to find the wayward Hallan. With the exception of Katica and her grandfather in Slovenia, no one else on the planet seemed to have spotted the flying duo. Jack found himself out of sorts on what to think.

“Yes, he's experienced with fending for himself out in the wilds of Halla, but Earth isn't the same,” Jack protested to Loorooloo as the Guardian and the yeti stood staring at the red dot hovering over Gozd Martuljek.

“And... norphilalph... the injured arm?” Loorooloo inquired, slowly so Jack could interpret the words.

“Apparently Katica's grandfather set it for him. I guess he used to be a field medic in the old Soviet army.”

“Helicopters?”

Jack's mind wrestled with the oddly complicated word the yetis used to describe a helicopter. It roughly translated to mean a machine able to fly both up and down as well as side to side with the propeller overhead. Regardless of his need to find Hiccup, Jack spent time with the yeti young in order to expand his vocabulary of the unusual and highly expressive language. He found the yeti to be valuable allies, and it completely explained why Nicholas Saint North gave them sanctuary in the castle. The yeti only made toys for Nick as a form of repayment for his kindness.

“Yes, there were reports of two NATO helicopters colliding in a training mission over Poland, but... I can't imagine Hiccup purposefully shooting them out of the sky,” Jack finally answered when he considered the possibility.

“He... was hunted, no?” Loorooloo further pressed the point. “Protecting... oomphamraph?”

“Dragon?”

The female yeti, for Jack learned how to tell the difference between the sexes, nodded.

“Maybe, if pilots were trying to kill either of them. Hiccup's been in a few wars of his own, and both he and Toothless know how to fight,” Jack explained in his broken yeti dialect using his native tongue for words he still needed to learn.

Loorooloo stepped up to the globe control console and began to press buttons at a fantastic pace. Jack could only watch and marvel at the splendid skill of the yeti. Their knowledge of advanced electronics and computers, even computer programming, outstripped the best of human endeavors. Although none would directly confirm it, Jack became increasingly convinced the yeti hailed from another planet and at some time in the distant past arrived on Earth to seek refuge. The more he learned of them, the more he wanted to know the yeti. While Jack contemplated, Loorooloo worked her form of magic.

“There. Them?” She asked after a few minutes.

A projected video clip found through whatever means, and the yeti did not seem to care if the information they sought sat on protected servers, flickered in front of the globe. The jittery footage showed several helicopters in pursuit of an object Jack could not see. He leaned closer to the projection.

“Can you make anything out?” He inquired as he scanned the moving image.

“No, not... especially,” Loorooloo confessed.

They continued to watch. Jack winced when he saw the machine guns mounted on the underside of the helicopters begin to spit bullets and fire. The barrage did not seem to stop whatever the pilots pursued. The footage continued to distort and jump as the observing craft tried to keep up with the chase. A second volley of gunfire erupted. Seconds later, two glowing blue balls of fast flying plasma appeared. The two primary chase helicopters exploded in fiery death. The third, the one filming the scene, stayed motionless for a second and then peeled away.

“Roll it back to right when Toothless fired,” he quietly but urgently requested.

Loorooloo punched buttons. The scene moved in reverse.

“Slow motion!”

The projection slowed. Bit by bit the plasma balls returned to the source. In the darkness of the point of origin, Jack could clearly make out Toothless' head and the infuriated sneer on the dragon's face. The blue outline of the mouth, teeth retracted, could not be mistaken. Moreover, he could just discern the shape of Hiccup's helmet pressed low against the dragon's neck in preparation for the strike. The Viking often complained of blowback from the plasma blasts that routinely singed his eyebrows. For that reason alone most dragon riders did not grow beards or mustaches out of fear of a facial fire.

“It's them,” Jack finally said after watching the footage repeat in forward motion.

“They escaped,” Loorooloo said as she continued to view the scene. “See? The... helicopters lost... track after the... siphamraphrum?”

“The deadly blue fire from the mouth of an angry dragon is about as good as any description,” the Guardian agreed. “I think they might've injured Toothless. He didn't look too happy, did he?”

Loorooloo gave him a look that could only be called sarcastic questioning at his statement of the obvious. Jack shrugged and rolled his eyes. Loorooloo shook her head.

“But they got away. What happened after that?” He returned to trying to sort out the puzzle.

“Want me to... look more... for... data?” The female yeti politely offered assistance while simultaneously offering a clear sign Jack made inroads with the local tribe.

“Are you... rurphamor... hacking... through systems to find it?”

The yeti did not respond and simply blinked at him.

Jack got the message and replied: “You're right: I don't want to know. Find out what you can, but... don't get caught.”

The yeti snorted indignation.

“Alright, yes, you are much better than that.”

“Thank you,” Loorooloo said and only sounded partially mollified.

“You do know computers are not my specialty...”

“Snow is,” the yeti woman interjected in a pleased tone. “Your... magic makes a... garuph... mess of these.”

“I know, trust me. I hope my being too close doesn't interfere,” said Jack as a form of apology.

“We made...” Loorooloo began but stopped talking, stared at Jack, and then added: “Phrimurphapah.”

“Protections against the wild magic flowing through the castle,” the Guardian translated for his own benefit. “Excellent idea, and it really seems to work.”

Loorooloo gave him another sharp look. It irritated Jack.

“Let me know when you take up flying, and I'll offer a critique. Okay?” He testily rejoined.

“Apologies, friend Jack Frost,” Loorooloo replied after a few moments. “Your... humor does not make... surph... much sense to us.”

“Once I get comfortable with yetish, I will figure out a way to make it work.”

“Nick failed.”

“Nick is Siberian, and they're not... hooluph... known for their sense of humor,” Jack stated with a grin.

Loorooloo nodded and then glanced at the globe and the paused image of a barely visible Hiccup and Toothless in a desperate fight. Jack gazed at it as well with a sickening sensation filling his stomach. His soulmate and dragon not only destroyed the two helicopters, but they killed all the people inside as well. Jack knew Hiccup despised the unnecessary taking of life and that such action would weigh heavily on the Viking. However, it told of the extreme circumstances the Hallans faced. Loorooloo busied herself with stabbing at buttons.

“Thank you, Loorooloo, for all your help with this. I... don't know how to repay you,” he told the yeti with sincere gratitude coloring his words.

“We would... like a good... strong... ice storm,” she said without looking up. Jack caught a trace of a yeti smile on her face when she said: “If you can... do this.”

“Oh, I can do that. No problem there,” Jack said through the chuckle. “Good teasing.”

“Yes,” Loorooloo responded and sounded pleased.

With that Jack went off to his room to sit and think about what could be done. He tried to figure out a means to locate Hiccup and Toothless, but none came to mind. After two hours of fretful contemplation, he gave up. He decided further council would help because the idea that Creak knew about Hiccup worried Jack to no end. Thus, at a loss and wanting some sort of answer, he turned immaterial and flew up through the castle. The magic fortifications long ago got altered to allow him passage as it did for the Sandman. Once in the cool Arctic spring afternoon, Jack faced westward and poured on as much speed as he could muster with his crook leading the way.

Denali proved a surprisingly easy object to find in the Alaskan territory. Jack soared around it until he located the ledge he liked to occupy while watching the sunsets. He made for it and landed lightly on his feet as he turned solid.

“Hello?” The Guardian politely called out. “Leiyís'axt, are you here?”

Frigid wind whipped around him. Even if he made the visit at high summer, Jack would still experience cold air because of the altitude. He loved it, and it formed one of the reasons he liked to come to Denali. When he got no answer to his request, the immortal young went to the ledge and sat. The vista below him filled him with awe. Snow covered rock gave way to bare rock, and then to trees that crawled up the flanks of Denali as far as able. Jack wondered if Hiccup ever got the chance to appreciate some of the beauty to be found on Earth. Time seemed to move more slowly on the mountain, and he allowed himself a brief moment of respite.

“You seemed troubled, Jact Frost,” a sonorous voice rolled over him.

“Thank you for visiting with me,” Jack said first and foremost to the ancient being. “I am honored.”

“I find you a worthwhile guest.”

The ledge shuddered as the enormous Broken Nose walked toward him and then sat down. Together they scanned the natural splendor below. Leiyís'axt seemed to sigh.

“It is very beautiful. It makes me feel so... I don't know how to say this except... small,” Jack responded to the sound.

“Hmm, yes, we are all small, Jact, but you do not sound troubled by this fact,” Leiyís'axt intoned. “This is not what troubles you, is it?”

“No. There's someone here who shouldn't be here, and Pulhu knows about him. He knows what makes me afraid,” Jack confessed since he felt the being would easily see through any falsehood.

“Is it the stranger or Pulhu that troubles you?”

“The stranger is Hiccup, the one I love most in the... universes, and his dragon...”

“Ah, the dragon,” Leiyís'axt interrupted. “Across the world we've heard whispers of the flying beast. Nothing like it ever existed here, Jact. It is a unique creature. Powerful in its own... small way.”

“They're not supposed to be on this world, Leiyís'axt: they belong back on Halla. I don't know how they got here... and now they're in trouble,” Jack barely breathed the words.

Leiyís'axt leaned to the side and half its body hovered over Jack. It many respects, it felt like a boulder getting ready to start an avalanche. Jack glanced upward at the slanted but rather pleasing visage of the ancient giant. The long locks of unusual hair flowed on either side of the dark face. Jack gazed in wonder. His somewhat surreal friend seemed to be studying him.

“No, they do not belong. They feel... wrong, Jact, like the small part in you that feels strange,” the lumbering giant said after half a minute.

“The touch of the flesh hungerer,” Jack quipped, remembering the hado'ih noticed it before.

“Yes,” Leiyís'axt confirmed.

“Wait. Are you saying you can feel Hiccup and Toothless?”

The giant nodded.

“Can you find them?” Jack hopefully inquired.

“They have not completed the ritual, so I cannot interfere with their lives,” Leiyís'axt told him, answering a question not yet asked.

“Okay, I get that, but you know where they are?”

“I do. Many of us do, Jact, but we cannot act until we are called.”

Jack sat for a moment and thought about the words of Leiyís'axt. It seemed rules applied to them as well, and the hado'ih did not seem disposed to breaking those rules. He wrestled with the concept. Jack did not want to upset the Broken Nose since the being could quite easily crush him in every respect. However, he suddenly thought of what the hado'ih told him.

“Leiyís'axt, I am asking for your help. I don't know the ritual, but I will do what is necessary to appease you,” said Jack in a rush.

Above his head, Leiyís'axt smiled. Jack thought he heard the face crack in the effort, but quickly dismissed the notion. The Guardian smiled in return.

“Our kind does not need ritual. We may ask... favors of one another and grant them as we choose,” the giant stated.

“Leiyís'axt, I would be in your debt and would grant whatever favor you ask of me if you can help me find Hiccup and Toothless!”

“I accept your bargain, Jact, and I ask this as the return favor,” Leiyís'axt said and sounded thoughtful. “Bring to me a tree from this other world. A small one: a sapling. Bring it to me and plant it here on Denali. Guard it, Jact, and help it grow. Make it a gift to the people who I serve.”

“I would do this, but... how? It is Father Moon who brings me back and forth between the worlds,” Jack replied in confusion. “Nothing arrives on Earth except me... and always at Burgess.”

“How then did this man and dragon come here? Were they with you when you got called home?”

Jack nodded and added: “But they've been with me before when I made the transition and never made the journey. I don't think I could channel enough power on Halla to cross the boundary on my own let alone bringing anyone with me, and especially not a dragon.”

“But yet they are here, and they will stay here if you don't return them home,” Leiyís'axt rumbled.

“I'll do whatever it takes for as long as it takes to get them back to Halla!”

“No, Jact. You do not understand. If they pass through a full moon and do not return to their world, they will be here forever. Did not The Man in the Moon tell you of this?”

Jack's mouth hung open in shock. While he gaped at Leiyís'axt, the hado'ih glanced up at the sky. The giant being looked displeased.

“You put your children at a disadvantage,” the giant said with reproof.

The cold wind whirled around the two. However, the cold settling into the pit of Jack's stomach felt more intense. The blue of the sky deepened as twilight approached, and Jack could just see the arc of the newly waxing moon. Panic seized his mind, but he wrestled it down and locked it in his gut. He knew better than to lose control. 

“Leiyís'axt, is what you say true? Will Hiccup be trapped here after the full moon?” Jack begged the questions.

“I do not lie to you. I have no need of that, Jact. This will be their home for all time if the full moon passes and they remain,” the giant said when facing him again. “There are but a dozen days left to correct this.”

“Then, please, tell me where I can find them!” 

Leiyís'axt raised an arm and the hand of the hado'ih carefully but easily wrapped around Jack's chest. The Broken Nose picked up the Guardian and moved the white-haired elemental man to one side. After releasing Jack, Leiyís'axt smoothed out a stretch of the ground with a single swipe and sent pebbles and rocks skittering in all directions. Then with one finger the enormous figure began to draw. Jack could not explain why he found the artistry of the hado'ih surprising, but he stared in wonder as a detailed map of Europe quickly took shape. The Guardian recognized the land mass even before Leiyís'axt finished the outline. Lakes, rivers, and mountains fell into place. Finally, the giant returned one pebble to spot on the map.

“Here, just north and east of a place the people call Gdańsk near the sea they call the Baltic, there is a spot that looks uninhabited,” Leiyís'axt informed him and pointed to the stone.

“I know the area and visited it often in the past when times were less hopeful for them,” Jack hurriedly rejoined.

“Look for an area they call the Trójmiejski Park. There you will find a small abandoned village, but it is a disguise. Under the collapsing buildings lay hidden tunnels the likes of which only your Pooka friend can understand. The man and the dragon from the other world are kept there, away from the sun, away from sky, away from everything.”

“What is that place?”

“A place where bad thing happen,” Leiyís'axt stated in a grim voice. “On stormy nights I've walked the sea they call the Baltic and trod through the lands to see if any remember the old rituals and call to me or my kin. I've heard the cries of men... women... even children kept there who did not live long. It is an evil place, Jact Frost, and I would fear for any who are trapped in the ground. It is a place where mankind learns new cruelty.”

Jack felt his stomach twist. When the old Soviet Union ruled over vast tracts of Eastern Europe, he knew about the prison camps and secret locations where they tortured people for information. Yet the people of Poland first began the challenge to might of their military masters. In the end, the Soviet Union fell and Poland emerged a free country able to choose its own destiny. It sided with the western nations, watched the Warsaw Pact of nations dissolve, and joined North Atlantic Treaty Organization. The world seemed hopeful for a time until the events of September 11, 2001. Jack became vaguely aware of the tensions between varying nations as each sought to define prosperity, safety, and security. Older, darker ways found new life in the pursuit.

“I owe you much, Leiyís'axt, for this information,” Jack said and privately swore a personal oath.

“A tree that can grow and survive the coming changes is all I require, Jact,” said the Broken Nose in a solemn voice. “If there was time enough before the next full moon, I would teach you the old ceremonies so that more people can reach out to my kind. Then I could more fully help your friends.”

“There will be time once I free Hiccup and Toothless and return them to Halla, and I will bring you your tree.”

The hado'ih tipped its head in his direction and replied: “Fly quickly, Jact Frost. Time is not your friend if you wish to accomplish this.”

Jack nodded while his sense of determination wrestled with the dread trying to blossom in his chest. He looked up in to the sky and frowned at the barely discernible sickle of the moon. He planned on a long conversation the next time he returned to Earth. With that, he held aloft his crook and took to the air, heading eastward to share the information with those who could more directly help him.


	10. Chapter 10

“There's an electrical grid under the buildings and tunnels,” Bunny said as he eyed the other Guardians gathered in his central workroom. “It's too close to the lower floors for me to properly use transport tunnels. I might be able to pass through the grid, but who knows what that'd do? Then there's the electric fencing on the outside and the surveillance cameras all over, so Nick can't just appear without getting spotted in a jiff.”

Above the Sandman's head, the image of a bell, like a fire alarm, formed in the dream sand and the small metal arm hammered silently against it. No one needed to interpret what it meant.

“Da, they would know,” Nick agreed.

“And no windows since most of the complex is underground, so I can't send the faeries in,” Toothania glumly said.

“So that leaves Jack and Sandy,” Bunny concluded since he convened the meeting and allowed the others to join him in The Warren. “Sandy can use his sand to get in, and we know what Jack can do. If you could get a picture of any of the rooms, an empty hall... somewhere we could open a tunnel...”

“What if they're held in separate rooms?” Toothania interjected.

“Problem,” Nick murmured and crossed his arms. “But two of us can open tunnels.”

Jack sat in frustrated silence and listened. He wanted to join Bunny on the initial investigation, but the rest of the Guardians talked him out of it with the logic he may not be able to control his reactions if what he found rattled him. The youngest of the group finally submitted to the reasoning when he began yelling at his friends that they jeopardized Hiccup and Toothless. His outburst showed how nominally he maintained his emotional grip.

“You need me to scout,” Jack grunted. “Either me or Sandy needs to go in there and take a good look, and this isn't the first time I've gone into dangerous places.”

“And if you find Hiccup or Toothless and either of them is... in bad shape?” Toothania raised the argument again.

The Guardians stared at him waiting for an answer.

“Kid, I know what you're going through...”

“No, you don't!” Jack tore through Bunny's statement.

“Oh, he does, Jack, and so do I,” Toothania calmly replied. “This is one of the risks when you love so strongly. So trust me when I say we all know what you're going through.”

Jack glanced from person to person. While Bunny appeared angry, he also seemed sad and weary at the same time. To his surprise, Jack saw similar expressions on the faces of the others. The Spirit of Fun sighed and shifted his gaze to the tabletop where sheets of paper with rough drawings of the Polish compound lay sprawled. As a covert operative, Bunny proved exceptional. Only an invisible, immaterial, flying person in command of his emotional state might do better. E Aster Bunnymund spent hundreds of years sneaking around humans and hiding things right under their noses. He knew how to slip in and out of human establishments with such practiced ease it bordered on scary. Invisibility around adults, Jack remembered, also helped.

“Tooth, he's right,” Bunny said in a tight manner. “We do need him to go in and scout. If he and Sandy can get a good look inside, see who's where, we can figure out a real plan.”

“I could get them out,” Jack hotly asserted again.

“If they are in the same spot, da, but I do not think these people would be so stupid as to leave them united. After watching them work together, there is reason to keep them apart,” Nicholas said with a hard glint in his eyes.

With the exception of Toothania and her small coterie of faeries, the rest sat around the table. Bunny sat across from Jack with Nick and Sandy at the diagonal. As usual, Baby Tooth nestled against Jack's neck, and it served as an emotional anchor for him. The storm of anger and fear inside his body continually threatened to surge outward.

“Listen, Jack, we need you in control of yourself if this is going to work,” Bunny bluntly said to him. “If you go in there freezing everything in sight and making one of them disappear, they're going to triple the guard and make it that much harder to get the remaining one out... and they might even kill who gets left behind.”

That sobered Jack.

The Sandman then projected an image of a very angry Toothless above his head.

“And the dragon doesn't even know the rest of us, Jack,” Toothania spoke up after looking at the image.

Sandy nodded his head.

“I don't want to be hasenpfeffer, kid, or a roasted coney!” The Pooka exclaimed.

“This is why we need to plan,” Nick joined coolly rejoined. “The goal is to get both out alive. We can do this, but we need to think first.”

The previous day as he raced back to the North Pole castle, it all seemed clear and simple to Jack. He would fly in, dematerialize the two, and fly out with them. When he explained the situation and his plan to Nick, the grand man of the north did not readily agree. That gave Jack pause. When Bunny and Toothania arrived, both heartily disagreed with the plan and for many of the reasons they discussed yet again. Their reluctance to endorse Jack's idea put him in a sour mood that did not lift and left him rather volatile. When even Sandy found the plan wanting, it made him angry.

Bunny stared at him for a long time, causing Jack to shift in his seat. No one spoke as each appeared to be calculating and scheming. Jack forced himself to accept that if anyone could figure out how to infiltrate a military compound and extract captives, the best candidates came in the form the four other Guardians. 

“You said you made them dematerialize back on the other world, but it took you a lot of energy to do it,” Bunny mused aloud.

“That was on Halla, but I'm at least ten times stronger here, just like Isemaler is back there. He made Fishlegs' gronkle disappear in about two or three seconds,” Jack answered the unspoken question in Bunny's statement.

His friend's gawked at him.

“A gronkle has more mass than a night fury,” he explained to the blank looks. “It's sort of like a flying rock with a lava pit for a stomach.”

“Right,” Bunny hummed the word.

“So then that means you could get Toothless out of there fairly fast, before the guards could react?” Toothania, the blur of wings behind her, inquired.

“Yeah, I'm sure I could,” Jack replied.

“Now there is Hiccup to consider,” Nick said and his eyes focused on the Sandman.

Jack glanced up and saw a golden, near perfect likeness of the Viking floating over his colleague's spiky yellow hair. It made his heart skip a beat and his eyes sting. Behind that a vast tide of anger formed at those who held the Hallans captive. Given that Hiccup and Toothless destroyed two helicopters and killed the pilots, he did not think the captors would treat them with any kindness or understanding. They would be viewed as weapons.

“And that's where we come in,” Bunny picked up the thread. “It'll be Nick's job to get in and get Hiccup.”

“Why me?” Nick blurted.

“'Cause how do you think that boy is going to react when a bloody big rabbit suddenly pops up out of the floor and says ‘Hi, I'm here to rescue you, mate'?”

Nick nodded while Jack said: “But he knows about you. I've explained all of this to him.”

“Knowing ain't the same as experiencing. It's the difference between theory and reality,” Bunny instantly countered.

Against which the elemental young man could not argue. Despite everything Hiccup, Fishlegs, Gobber, and Valka told him about Halla, Jack continually came upon items and situations that took him by surprise. Hiccup knew even less about Earth. Given his circumstances, a large Pooka making an abrupt appearance would be extremely unsettling.

“Jack,” Nick said in his matter-of-fact way, the type he used when finding a new wonder and trying to explain it to a novice, “you need to be able to give us whole picture of what we will find there. You need to warn your man and dragon about what will happen...”

“I think I just need to find where Toothless is kept. I don't know how he'll react to seeing me, and it could give me away,” Jack said as he thought about possible outcomes.

“Oh, that's right: you said dragons can see you when you're invisible,” Toothania recalled for them all.

“How do they do this?” Nicholas Saint North pondered.

“I haven't been able to figure it out. There must be some wavelength of electromagnetism they can see that I exist in when I go immaterial. After all, the mantis shrimp can see in eight different segments of the spectrum and...”

Jack paused when the others simply gazed at him.

“What?” He asked the questioning looks.

“And they said television rots the brain,” Nick chuckled.

“I don't have a lot to do when the sun approached the Tropic of Cancer, you know? Radio and movies were a great way to pass time, and then television...” Jack explained and trailed off.

“But will Toothless cooperate once he does see you?” Bunny inquired and returned to the main topic.

“If I tell him were going immaterial, he'll listen. He's been bugging me to do it again ever since the first time.”

“Good, because this has to be coordinated, Jack,” Nick piped up. “We need to do this at the same time. I get Hiccup, and you get the dragon. No delay. Once we start, they'll know something is up, da? We don't want them to start shooting.”

Again, another sobering thought for the young Guardian got laid bare. Jack nodded. He then followed Nick's line of sight and saw him staring at the Sandman. Questions formed in his brain.

“Sandy, could you put everyone asleep in the compound?” The man called Santa Claus asked.

A question mark appeared above the Sandman's head while he shrugged.

“He'd have to know where the guards are and the layout of the place,” Bunny reiterated the point, but then looked at the diminutive Guardian and said: “Unless you could flood the place with dream sand?”

Sand shook his head while and x in a box took shape above it. He clearly rejected idea. Jack could not blame him. While Bunny did a good job scouting and getting a general idea of the compound, they still did not know the exact details and dimensions of the place. Thus, Sandy could not estimate how much dream sand he would need to be successful. Too much would be a waste and could drastically reduce his supply, while not enough would tip off those unaffected of the operation. Once more unknowns proved to be the real enemy. Slowly, everyone turned to face Jack.

“Alright, Jack, it's down to you,” Bunny told him in a low voice. “Can you keep it together enough to do only what you need to do and not get carried away? If you start freezing everyone, they'll just tighten security... or worse.”

“I can do it: get in, scout, and get out,” Jack replied while keeping his temper in check.

“More than ever, Hiccup and Toothless need you to get this right,” Toothania added her thoughts.

Jack began to frown, but then Sandy laid a hand on his forearm. The youngest Guardian stared into the eyes of the oldest. A small smile formed on Sandy's face, but it did not convey humor. For a tiny instant Jack thought he felt and saw regret in the sallow features, and it gave him pause. The Sandman possessed a complex and long history, most of which Jack did not know, but he sensed the little man shared something profound with him. Jack calmed and nodded.

“I can do this,” he whispered to his friend.

“Alright, tomorrow we reconvene at the Pole when Jack gets back,” Bunny told them in an authoritative manner. “Since its closer than here.”

“Agreed,” Nick chimed in.

“I'll be there,” Toothania stated.

The Sandman nodded and fixed everyone with an even gaze.

“Jack, you can stay here tonight if you want,” the Pooka offered.

“No, I think I'm going to head out and expend some energy. I need to show Creak he's not winning,” the elemental Guardian said in a cold, icy voice. “I know some kids in Lapland who could use some fun right now.”

“Just the children?” Nick mused.

Jack caught the gleam in his mentor's eyes, grinned, and replied: “There's a kid in all of us.”

“Da, da. Remember that, my friend.”

In the morning they allowed Hiccup to feed and water Toothless, then spend a half an hour with him. It felt like a mortal wound when he it came time to place the cage on the dragon's head with the large eyes begging him to stop. The black hood came to Hiccup's rescue in a perverse way, but the hurt remained regardless of the darkness.

As per the daily custom, Hiccup spent many hours being grilled in languages he did not understand by the lead woman whose name he could barely pronounce or remember and the dark-skinned man. They showed him pictures of he and Toothless in flight and in the fight with the flying machines. Hiccup winced at the images of the two that exploded when struck with Toothless' plasma. He never intended to have the dragon kill anyone, but they were injuring his winged friend. Toothless merely sought to save his own life. The man and woman relentlessly pointed to the photos and threw one meaningless sentence after another at him. In the number of times he went through the ritual, Hiccup discerned at least six different languages they used to try and communicate with him. Only one came close to being comprehensible, but even that remained nonsense to him. After four hours of the grilling, Hiccup lowered his head to the table and let it lay there. The man pounded his fist, but Hiccup refused to budge.

The hood and the walk back to his cell commenced. Whether his captors realized it or not, Hiccup figured out they led him in an oxbow pattern through the halls in an effort to confuse him. He counted steps and the number of turns he made when directed to the interrogation room, Toothless' holding chamber, or his cell. By his estimation, he never traveled more than a radius of one hundred feet. A mental map of began to form in his mind, and with it a sense he might be able to affect an escape if he could just understand more of the layout. It remained an insubstantial hope at best.

Following his meal of bland food, Hiccup sat in the corner with the blanket over his head to block the harsh overhead lighting. He curled his body around the paltry pillow and closed his eyes. The Viking returned to his memories. Reliving in as much detail as he could recall the events following the arrival of the new Isemaler became his most recent pastime.

“You miss it, don't you?” He asked Jack one night as the lay under the blankets in the dark.

“Miss what?” Jack inquired, but it sounded knowing to the Viking.

“Being the Jack Frost.”

“I'm still Jack Frost.”

“Then being Isemaler,” Hiccup corrected himself.

“A little,” replied the brown-haired young man snug in Hiccup's arms.

“It's the flying, isn't it?”

“Yeah, I really miss that.”

Hiccup and his beloved lay in silence. Since the arrival of the Hallan Isemaler, Jack never transformed. Moreover, the young human-looking man said he could not even force it. Hiccup could not imagine what it would like if he suddenly lost such extraordinary powers. The Viking saw the want, almost envy, in Jack's eyes when looking at the staff of Isemaler.

“Noro told me I wouldn't be able to,” Jack quietly told him yet again. “She said being mortal came with limitations... and uncertainties. She warned me I wouldn't like some parts of it,”

“What don't you like the most?” Hiccup asked because he discovered Jack tended not to brood if he discussed his condition.

“Pooping,” the new mortal quickly answered. “It's disgusting. I forgot how bad it is.”

“Wait a second, you mean for the last three months you didn't... what did you do in the privy then?”

“Sat there and read what people carved on the walls. Sometimes I'd go invisible and fly around to see what was happening. Just taking time for myself.”

Hiccup chuckled at the answer. He never knew Jack did not go through a few the messier bodily processes, although that did not include their intimate moments. Both he and the Guardian seemed to enjoy getting gooey and sticky together. Hiccup felt his blood rise at the thought.

“Aha, what's this?” Jack giggled the question while wiggling his back against the rising development.

“You have this weird effect on me,” Hiccup gamely responded.

The Guardian in disguise laughed and said: “You are really twisted if the idea of pooping gets you going!”

“What? No! Gods, Jack!”

Jack snorted in mirth.

“And you call me twisted,” Hiccup grunted in his mate's ear. “I just thought about the things you don't find disgusting even though most people on this island would shudder at the mere idea...”

“Of what's none of their business what we do in bed together,” Jack interjected with an edge to his voice. “There're a lot of arguments about that on my world, Hiccup. People get punished for being in love with the same gender. Some people even get killed for it.”

“Your world sounds terrifying if that's the way it is.”

“It can be.”

They lapsed into silence, but Hiccup's body remained alert and sensitive. The feel of Jack's naked flesh pressed against his own caused a delirium in his head. He could scarcely remember the times when he feigned his attraction to women. Astrid remained rather hostile toward him because of the truth and the events spawned by the revelation. Hiccup never intended any of that to happen, let alone the death of Sledgehead, her dragon, Snotlout's dragon, and the number of Berkians who died during the civil war. He hugged Jack closer trying to drive the memories from his head.

“The war?” Jack whispered.

“How did you know?” Hiccup asked.

“I can feel your muscles tense and shake at the same time, and there's a way you breathe when you think of it... likes there's not enough oxygen in the room,” the Guardian stated his observations.

“If you hadn't come to find us...”

“I had to. I knew you were the only one who could end it.”

Hiccup remained quiet for a long time. Jack respected his silence. One piece of that awful day shone bright and clear in the Viking's mind, and he latched on it with all his might. He could still feel Jack's hands on his shoulders from the night when Berk gathered in the burnt ruins of the great hall and tried to make sense of the battles. He recalled the songs, the laments, and the tears of his people. Mostly he remembered how two invisible hands held him as he gave vent to his grief.

“That's when I really fell in love with you,” Hiccup whispered to that particular set of memories.

“I was already in love with you by that point,” Jack rejoined with a happy note in his tone. “I saw so much in you that I want to be. You'd make a great Guardian, Hiccup.”

The Viking hugged the man from another world as tightly as he could until Jack wheezed. The two the laughed together. Hiccup already decided the transition for Jack from Guardian to mortal would take time and, most important, understanding from him. He recalled the days when he first found Toothless, found that remarkable kinship with the dragon, and how he hid it from the rest of Berk. When his people discovered the truth, it nearly cost him his father, friends, and entire village. Hiccup never forgot how Astrid alone stood by him, for whatever reason, and spurred him to the right actions. Thus, a good notion of how he should respond to the changes in Jack's life formed his head.

“You know, Jack, just because you're not... whatever it is you really are, you don't stop being a Guardian,” Hiccup pondered aloud and with certainty. “You've just got to apply it in different ways. Besides, you still go back to Earth once a month, so it's not like it's completely cut off from you.”

“Those are good points... but the flying?” The thin human from Earth said.

“There's always Toothless. You know he'd take you for a ride any time night or day.”

“But he wants what I can do in my Guardian body,” Jack countered.

“I don't think it will matter to him. I think Toothless really, truly likes you,” Hiccup stated.

From above on the other side of the room, Toothless rumbled with seeming annoyance that his name kept being used while he tried to sleep. Hiccup and Jack snickered while peering through the darkness at the all but invisible form of the dragon. They heard his wings ruffle.

“He's amazing,” said Jack with genuine affection for the night fury.

“Yeah, he is... and I think that all the time,” Hiccup agreed.

In the cell on Earth, Hiccup raised his head. His eyes stung as he remembered that moment when all seemed perfect and right on the far-off world. The Viking wished he could find his way back.

“Little flying boy sad,” Creak's voice taunted as if he found the perfect moment. “So alone....”

“I know: most alone,” Hiccup snarled the rest of the phrase while pulling the blanket from off of his head. Two yards away the faintly glowing orange orbs peered in his direction.

“Where is cold boy? Why cold boy no come to save flying boy and flying black lizard? How long can lizard live in chains?”

“Toothless is not a lizard.”

“But where is cold boy?” Creak asked again while his outline became a bit more assembled. “Why does the little Guardian not care for flying boy?”

Hiccup opened his mouth, but then clamped it shut before he could speak. He learned the twisted creature liked to goad and sneak information it would later use against him. The Viking glared at Creak.

“Is Jack really so much more powerful than you that you come after me instead of him?” He taunted in return.

The orange eyes narrowed. Hiccup believed for a moment he scored a hit. The small respite from fear and sadness seemed miraculous.

“Soon these human grow tired of you and flying black lizard. Soon they cut up black lizard to see what's inside of him. Smell in room, flying boy,” the misshapen head said while lifting what appeared to be a nose and sampling the air, “is smell of death. Many, many humans died here. Many died screaming.”

Hiccup remained motionless and silent, and he tried to present a brave front in the face of the horridly giddy creature. Over the course of days he started to wonder how long his captors would try to pry information out of him and how they would react to repeated failure. Moreover, something about his cell seemed ominous in the blank, sterile manner of its appointments. Furthermore, this did not appear to be a new construction although built for this very purpose.

“Humans kill what they don't know,” Creak's dry voice intoned. “Kill what they think makes them afraid. Humans like to kill. Soon they will kill flying black lizard.”

The Viking slowly blinked his eyes.

“Cold boy could save lizard, but cold boy cold... does not care or want flying boy on his world. He leaves flying boy to die!”

“Liar!” Hiccup yelled and threw himself at Creak.

The maligned, ugly being laughed as the young man passed right through the gnarled form. Hiccup landed hard on the ground. The scratchy twittering of the being echoed around his head, but the figure disappeared. As the laughter died, the young Viking man berated himself for falling into the creature's verbal trap. He looked up at the glowing block of light on the ceiling.

“Why don't you know I'm here?” He whispered the now painful query.

Unbeknownst to Hiccup as he lay numbly sprawled on the floor for several hours staring at the ceiling, twilight crept over Trójmiejski Park. The ruined village twenty-five feet above him gave every appearance of having been abandoned long ago. Only the odd footprints and tire tracks indicated the buildings continued to serve some purpose. On the horizon the final hump of sunlight faded to nothing as azure gave way to the purple of impending night. Shadows began to merge into indistinct shapes. Although spring settled firmly over the land, what remained of the village appeared resigned to remain lifeless.

Jack effortlessly sailed between the trees, over the fencing and signs written in Polish noting the area as dangerous for human habitation, and toward the group of buildings. He brought up a mental image of the maps Bunny drew. Thus far, the Pooka proved an excellent scout.

“There,” Jack whispered while leading himself forward with the staff. It gleamed white as ice crystals forms and flaked off during the slow flight.

The Guardian halted and spun in a circle to determine his location. While doing so, he noticed the small cameras craftily hidden in moldering soffits, exposed beams, and crumbling walls. The more he looked, the more Jack realized the state of the village to be completely artificial. The buildings seemed old, but the decay appeared too recent. The garbage strewn around the grounds did not look happenstance, but rather planned. Whoever designed the town wanted a casual observer to think the village as given over to nature to be slowly consumed. Jack, however, saw through the ruse.

“This is staged,” he told the wind that flowed around him. “This is... awful.”

Once correctly oriented, Jack zipped off toward a particular house that, for all intents and purposes, looked ready to collapse on itself. One glance revealed the walkway to be swept clean of debris and dust in order to hide the passage of anyone. The door to the home hung on single hinge, but would not deny entrance to a person. Jack flew through it and inside. Broken, rotten furniture lay roughly in what might be an ideal arrangement. The Guardian scanned the floor. Only faint traces of footprints could be seen. He followed those into one of the back rooms, ostensibly a bedroom, and studied it. A grin spread along his face when he saw the door handle on the closet appeared a bit too polished for a ruin.

“Nice try,” Jack mouthed the words as scanned the area.

He saw various holes in the walls and flooring, and therein discovered the cameras and microphones. Bunny did not lie when he spoke about the heavy surveillance of the area. It made sense now why the Pooka said either he or the Sandman needed to make the final scouting run. One thing puzzled Jack: he could not figure out how Bunny discovered the electrical grid underlying the compound. He stored the question and prepared to begin the real job.

Adults, he reminded himself, did not believe in him, so the likelihood stray belief might give him a jolt of unexpected and uncontrolled power diminished. He feared his natural magical field might interrupt the equipment and trigger alarms, so Jack used only enough to remain immaterial and invisible while flying. He wished he spent more time with the new staff since it did not feel entirely his own although much improved since first receiving it. Jack's nerves felt unaccountably twitchy as he soared through the door, found the stairwell, and started to make his entry.

At the top of the stairs a heavy metal door greeted the Guardian. He examined the thick plating as he walked through it noting the two inches of solid steel. On the other side the stairs waited, and Jack floated instead of walking. The two overhead lights were dim, and he suspected it a purposeful setting. At the bottom the stairs terminated into a hallway that Jack followed until forced to turn right. The first thing that hit the Guardian when he entered the real compound came in the form of the eerie quiet. Then the oddity became more profound. People moved about their jobs, but did not speak. They all wore soft-soled shoes, so even footfalls got muffled. When two or three of the strangely dressed people met, some in military gear and others in drab gray suits, they tilted their heads together and whispered. Each person, regardless of their garb, moved with decided purpose.

A long hallway stretched into the distance. Jack spied the doors on either side and also the open corridors spaced at intervals between the doors. Jack hovered near the ceiling and floated along. Each short corridor held at least two military personnel armed with assault rifles. A quick detour showed gun ports in the walls as well as observation mirrors. Jack peered through it and saw a woman of Middle Eastern descent sitting on the cement block serving as both bed and couch. She stared at the two-way mirror with a hard expression. Dressed in an orange jumpsuit, it became obvious the facility served as a prison of sorts. The western war on terrorism, Jack knew, gave rise to such places.

The elemental young man shuddered and moved back to the main hall. He found more short corridors, some attached to long back hallways, and more containment rooms. Each held a single prisoner dressed in the same orange jumpsuit. A single blanket and pillow served the prisoners and did not appear to give much comfort. Jack felt torn on how to feel. Violent extremists existed, and as a Guardian he fought a few in his realm, but he also became aware innocent people got swept up. The fact this prison existed out of sight, and off the record by all accounts, greatly disturbed him. Those held there basically disappeared from the face of the planet, and the concept chilled him. His mind could barely conceive of Hiccup and Toothless being trapped in such a place. He moved on and grew increasingly anxious each time he discovered a new holding cell that did not house a prisoner form another world.

The five cells on the right hand side of hall held people of varying nationalities, but none were Hallan. Jack turned his attention to the left side. He discovered a workroom at the end of the hall containing an unsavory assemblage of people and equipment, and next to which he found a prison room unlike the others. It sat isolated and surrounded by armed guards. Jack found he could navigate around it, and what he saw on the other side of the viewing mirrors made his heart sink.

“Great Odin,” he mouthed the Hallan oath when he saw the night fury in the larger cell.

Toothless sat with all limbs and his neck securely bound in chains, heavy straps encircling his mid-section to keep his wings pinned, and a form-fitting wire cage around his head to keep his mouth shut. The dragon looked miserable and lay with eyes closed. The sight of Toothless burned itself into his memory in a single instant. An anger Jack could barely contain rose in his chest. He felt energy leak from his hand into the crook. Suddenly, radios and speakers began to squeal around him. Soldiers instantly jumped to their feet. The Guardian realized his reaction caused the feedback in the electrical equipment as his power built. He forced the energy to subside, and the equipment returned to normal function. The staff vibrated in his hand, but did not flow with magic. A state of heightened alert swept through the halls.

In his mind, Jack vowed to free Toothless as soon as possible. A very un-Guardian notion briefly took root as he considered what would happen if he simply let the dragon roam free in the compound. Jack felt shame at the thought, knowing what the night fury would do, and dismissed it. It took considerable strength of will to pull away from the window without acting on the dragon's behalf, but Jack could hear the other Guardians in the back of his mind admonishing him to keep on task. He recalled the one time he got distracted by Pitch Black and Easter got ruined as a result. The lesson served in that moment.

The next two cells held two more people who appeared to be Hindi. He pondered what they did to land in this hellish environment, and then moved on. Jack reached the second to last cell in the hall, not far from the stairwell where he entered, and felt his gut freeze in a manner having nothing to do with his nature. Hiccup lay sprawled on the floor of the cell and stared vacantly at the ceiling. His green eyes appeared lifeless. The man the Guardian loved looked pale and wan. His normally robust and slightly wild russet hair formed a messy mat on his head. Like all the others, the Viking wore an ill-fitting orange jumpsuit. Jack felt his body tremble.

More high-pitched squeals and tones emerged from the surrounding electronics. The guards jumped to attention and actively scanned the area. They looked past the invisible elemental young man who wrestled with his very being trying to calm the flood of energy in his system. Bit by bit he wrangled it under control. However, one of the nearby guards began to stare in his direction. The man or woman – impossible to tell because of the armor and uniform – stripped a glove from one hand and raised it toward him. It only took two seconds for Jack to realize he generated a field of cold due to the manner in which he garnered energy. Thus, with little option, he slipped inside of Hiccup's cell despite his inability to fully contain his reaction.

Frigid air emanated from his body as the Guardian instinctively absorbed the local ambient energy. Ten seconds later he saw a faint plume of vapor issue from Hiccup's lips. Jack tried to hide in a corner to further pull himself together. He could not keep his eyes from Hiccup, and that disrupted his efforts. The Guardian in him constantly wanted to surge to the fore and take command. The temperature in the room continued to drop at the Spirit of Fun sought to contain his emotional reaction.

“Cold?” Hiccup whispered as he felt a nip on his lips, nose, and exposed fingertips.

The Viking blinked his eyes and began to rouse. He could literally feel the temperature dropping. As a child of northern climes, as well as the air and sea, Hiccup attuned his mind to notice changing environmental conditions. It sparked something in his mind, and the torpor began to dissipate. A will to move returned. The young Viking sat up, and right into a chill so intense in made him involuntarily shiver. He snapped his head around. In one corner of the cell near the ceiling he saw ice crystals forming on the wall. Hope, a virtual stranger to him in the preceding days, came briefly to life. He looked at the spot, saw it grow slightly, and took a wild guess.

“Jack?” He murmured.

As though shouted, Jack heard the word and felt his heart quake. The voice coming from his beloved sounded uncertain and weak. A desire to swoop down and take hold of the young man on the sitting on the floor nearly took over. He drifted closer to his heart's desire. The look of raw hurt and pain in Hiccup's visage stung him. He could see his mate desperately searching for a clue. Against all wisdom, Jack acted. He wiggled one finger in Hiccup's direction.

Three small snowflakes formed and fell onto Hiccup's upturned face. His eyes closed, and tears streamed out of the corners. For he knew snow did not simply appear inside of a closed room. Only one agent could be responsible. His fervent wish now granted left him at a crossroads. The Viking tried to puzzle together why the being who captured his love did not immediately act. The days of loneliness and strain, now finding an outlet, began to crack Hiccup's hold on himself.

“Jack!” Hiccup called louder while his eyes popped open, but he saw nothing as he swung his head from side to side.

Jack could recognize when a person reached the end of endurance. He flew down and hovered behind the Viking whose head whipped back and forth. As he learned on Halla, the Guardian placed his hands on the Hiccup's shoulders and allowed them to become solid without becoming visible. Then he squeezed.

“I'm here,” Jack said in the smallest voice he could make.

Hiccup crossed his arms over his chest as his hands reached for his own shoulders. There he found the cold, solid, and real fingers gripping his muscles. The Viking's fingers encircled the smaller hands and grasped as hard as he could. They did not disappear. Hiccup slowly folded at the waist as relief coursed through him, warring with the despair with which he learned to live, and began cry.

Jack followed along as tears welled form his eyes as well. The sobs bore into him as though he got shot by a gun. He let more of his body become semi-solid so Hiccup could truly feel his presence. Together they sat in middle of the cell, each recoiling from a vast well of uncontrollable emotions. Jack struggled contain the limitless love he felt for Hiccup to guide his actions. He did not want to further jeopardize the man or the dragon. It took a supreme act of will to refocus on the task at hand, but he did not let go.

“We're going to get you... both of you, out of here,” he whispered into the shaking ear of the distraught love of his immortal life.

“Jack! Where...” Hiccup began to plead.

“We've got to be strong and hold it...”

The door to the cell clanked and flew open. Two guards entered, pointed weapons at the weeping Hiccup, and slowly advanced. A severe looking woman wearing a navy blue skirt and matching blazer approached. Concern laced her tight features, made more so by the more or less dark blond hair pulled into a bun at the back of her head, and her gray eyes search both the man and the room.

“What is the matter?” She asked in German, and Jack understood her perfectly.

Hiccup raised his head and stared dully at her as tears continued to streak down his cheeks. Jack did not let go. He recognized her as a woman who possessed authority.

“Why is it so cold in here?” The woman inquired and glanced around. She turned to the guards and said in Polish: “One of you go check to see if the ventilation system is malfunctioning.”

“We can't leave you here alone,” a guard with a male voice responded.

“I said one, not both of you.”

“We need a facilities check!” The guard yelled through the open door without taking his sights off of the Viking.

The woman returned her attention to Hiccup. Jack noted how she kept out of arm's reach, but she crouched down into a squat so she faced him nearly at eye level. The woman stayed balanced, and the Guardian could only assume physical training gave her the ability. She eyed Hiccup for a few moments.

“Why are you crying?” She asked in a neutral tone and in Danish.

“I don't know what you're saying!” Hiccup spat at her.

“It's like I can almost understand you,” the woman mumbled and shook her head.

Jack listened to the exchange and felt Hiccup's neck tense. He could understand both of them, and it quickly became apparent the two could not communicate. The Guardian wondered how many times they placed Hiccup under interrogation only to discover the stranger spoke a language they could not decipher or understand. To the best of his knowledge, Jack assumed he alone on Earth could speak Hiccup's Hallan tongue.

“Leave me alone,” Hiccup grunted and started staring the floor again. However, he did not relinquish his hold on Jack's hands.

Outside the room Jack heard people bustling around, speaking in whispers, but generally maintaining silence. It gave the impression they feared someone might overhear them. Jack identified it as a means to keep the prisoners in further isolation. His dislike of the prison compound grew by leaps and bounds, and his hands grew colder. Hiccups fingers pressed in against his flesh.

“Very well, continue this game if you must,” the woman said in a stern Dutch voice. “One of these days you will have to talk to us, and we will figure out how you made that creature.”

She stood, faced the guard, and said in Polish: “Is he still on suicide watch?”

“Yes, ma'am,” the shorter and apparently female guard replied.

“I think he's finally starting to break, so make certain he doesn't fashion a noose with the blanket or try to suffocate himself with the pillow,” she commanded.

“Yes, ma'am,” both guards said in unison.

With that she walked out of the cell. The guards waited until she left before they backed out and closed the door. It clanged shut with sickening finality. Jack learned to hate the compound in rapid order. It prompted him to lean down over Hiccup's head.

“Tomorrow, Hiccup,” Jack whispered in the tiniest of voices. “We'll free you and Toothless tomorrow.”

“Please don't leave me in here,” Hiccup begged and his handhold on Jack became vice-like.

The pleading nearly broke Jack's resolve and he whispered: “If I act now, I can only get you out.”

He did not need to add anything further when his words caused Hiccup's body to stiffen.

“Stay by the walls and be ready for a large man dressed in red to suddenly appear. Go with him,” Jack said while forming a plan in his head. “I'll get Toothless at the same time. Just one more night, Hiccup.”

Hiccup's head roughly nodded in agreement. Jack let his head become solid, and he pressed his lips against the back of Hiccup's neck. The Viking relaxed a bit.

“I am so sorry this happened to you.”

“Just... free us,” Hiccup replied, his words strangled by finally being able to talk to someone.

“We will,” Jack promised. “I love you.”

Hiccup bobbed his head once in response.

The elemental Guardian never before found it so difficult to get his body to move. Releasing his hold on Hiccup proved the hardest act of his life. He could sense the pure desperation and trauma suffered by the man he loved most in all worlds. However, in order to succeed at saving both Hallans, he could not do what he so wanted. Jack's hands became immaterial. A shudder went through Hiccup's body when it happened. Hiccup hugged himself while Jack floated up and out of the compound as fast as he could. Neither young man felt happy about the new separation.

Five minutes later and one hundred miles away, the waters in an abandoned quarry instantly froze and exploded into a rain of ice. A thick rind of hoarfrost coated the walls of the large dig site. The ground shuddered as a freak localized arctic storm pummeled the quarry. It lasted for ten minutes, and then ended as abruptly as it started. Nothing got killed, but never again would quarry be useful. It collapsed in on itself when the ice began to melt.


	11. Chapter 11

The mood in Nick's main planning room grew somber as Jack explained what he discovered and Hiccup's condition. He drew detailed maps of the section of the prison he scouted, including the house above the entrance he used. The sheets lay on the table, visible to all who sat or hovered around it. No one said a word when he explained the escape plan he formed while traveling back to the North Pole.

“Stellar work, Jack,” Bunny said when the report ended.

“Thanks, but... I... wanted to... take them all out,” Jack confessed the feelings he harbored since leaving Hiccup. “I hate them for what they're doing.”

“And what does that hate get you?” Nick cautiously inquired.

“Nothing... nothing but more hate.”

“Da, most difficult lesson of all to learn, Jack.”

Jack and Nick locked eyes. The youngest of the Guardians did not relate his violent outburst at the stone quarry. He did not feel a need to reveal how destructive his powers could become under the right conditions. His mentor held his gaze and then nodded.

“When my parents were killed, all I wanted was revenge for the longest time,” Toothania quietly said. “It's weird, but... it's how I knew I was still human. Not hunting down the Monkey King was the hardest thing I ever did. After a while all those feelings helped me focus on being a Guardian and understanding why I do it.”

The Tooth Fairy never spoke so openly about the experiences that led to her becoming a Guardian. He saw the anger and sadness in her eyes and realized those moments remained fresh in her mind despite more than a millennium of time between then and that point. Nick intimated once before that each of the Guardians suffered a great personal loss that magnified the reasons why they so steadfastly pursued their purpose. It gave Jack a new perspective on his colleagues because he now possessed personal experience.

“Every day when I look at the sentinels in the Warren, I'm reminded what can happen when folks give into that hate like that, Jack. Don't be like those buggers who are doing this to Hiccup. Be better, mate,” Bunny told him with certainty.

Jack nodded. Sandy caught his eye, and the little man smiled the same sad smile he once saw on the yellow face. Jack returned the smile, except this time he fully understood how and why a grin did not always convey humor.

“So, Nick uses a transport tunnel to pop in and get Hiccup while you dematerialize Toothless and fly him out, right?” Toothania summarized the plan. “Is there anything we have to worry about?”

“What, besides the dozens of heavily armed soldiers, who knows what else is in there, and all the surveillance equip...” the elemental Guardian began to rattle off the list.

“You know we're breaking the rules?” Bunny quipped at Nick, interrupting the litany of the Spirit of Fun.

“Man in Moon has not complained,” Nick replied.

“What rules?” Jack interjected.

“The rules that say were not supposed to reveal ourselves adult mortals,” Bunny said as though Jack should know.

“I don't think Hiccup counts in this situation,” Toothania remarked.

“Not talking about him: I'm talking about the blokes who run the place. They'll see you and Nick.”

“No,” Jack immediately replied. “They'll only see Nick, and do you really think they're going to shoot at Santa Claus?”

“Naughty list could be very big this year,” Nicholas said as if warning a child about behavior.

“And Toothless is just going to disappear right before their eyes. Don't forget he'll be able to see me when the people can't.”

“Really thought this through, eh, kid?” Bunny inquired while a determined sneer settled over his features.

“It's not like we've got a huge set of options, Bunny. We have surprise and a means to travel they don't know how to defend against,” Jack answered the rhetorical question. “Plus, I think Sandy should be ready as back-up in case we need to knock them out... or slow them down.”

The Sandman's spiky yellow hair bobbed in counter tempo to his head.

“So I guess I sit this one out?” Toothania said and sounded aggrieved.

“Hardly. Need you to fly the perimeter when back-up gets called in. There's an airbase nearby and helicopters could be up in the air in seconds. If they start to head in, you'll need to confuse them with your speed,” Jack informed her, and his friend began to grin. “You can head in with Bunny who'll be keeping an eye on the forces hidden outside of the main building. They'll come running once the alarm goes off... and it will.”

The four other Guardians looked at Jack with something akin to surprise on their faces. Nick or Bunny normally formed the master plans since both used to sneaking in and out of locations. He met their expressions with a stern one of his own. His ice-blue eyes glinted with inner fury.

“I had time to think about this,” he explained when the silence became extended. “Since this whole thing got started in New York, military people are just itching for a confrontation with... some kind of enemy...”

“We are not their enemy!” Nick retorted in a caustic manner.

Jack simply stared at the man. From the corner of his eye, he saw Bunny slowly close his mouth over an unspoken reply. After shifting his head slightly, he caught the worried expressions on both Sandy and Toothania. He came to the conclusion on the flight back to the North Pole that this action constituted a radical shift for the Guardians. Never before did he hear about them going up against humans. The silence grew for another time.

“I know I'm asking all of you to do something that goes against your nature... your very purpose, but... Hiccup and Toothless never asked for this. Don't I have a responsibility to them as well?” Jack partially exposed his concern.

“You weren't here during the Crusades, kid, so this isn't our first tangle with an army,” Bunny told him. “Or Yugoslavia.”

“Or the Inquisitions... and Vietnam, and the tribal wars on the Arabian Peninsula and in Ethiopia,” Toothania chimed in.

Above Sandy's head a map of the America's formed and he saw several tiny ships sailing into the Caribbean Ocean. Then it shifted to a map of Africa and zoomed in on the southern tip.

“Zulu and Boer wars; those were nasty,” the Pooka murmured, glanced at Jack and said: “Nanking, Armenian Massacre, American Civil War, World War One and Two...”

“The wars of Napoleon, the Mongols and Cossacks... ach, the Dark Ages!” Nick added to the list.

“See? We've seen humankind at its worst, Jack,” Toothania told him in a quiet, weary voice. “We saw to the children through all of that.”

Jack blinked, and now the surprise emanated from him. He knew his friends battled the seemingly mythic dark forces that surrounded people, but he never factored in the bloody history of the human race. However, quick reflection showed it made perfect sense. Children trapped in the worst of conditions would need their aid the most. It called to mind the day he saw the ship sink on Halla and his first encounter with the Breathless One. Horror got visited on children all the time.

“But we never do this for an adult,” Nick said in response, “but this one is different like you said.”

“Plus Hiccup knows about us already, so it's not like were breaking any rules regarding him,” Bunny chipped in. “And this is for you, too.”

“If we don't stick up for each other...” Toothania said and let the rest go unfinished.

Nick stood and looked over all of them and pronounced: “We are Guardians. Nowhere does it say just for children. We guard who we must, da?”

“Spot on, Nick,” Bunny quickly seconded the notion.

“Here, here!” Toothania gamely lent her voice.

A huge exclamation point appeared about Sandy's head.

“Thank you,” Jack whispered as a new set of emotions, ones more appropriate to his life, roiled through him. He felt a tug at the sleeve of his hooded sweatshirt.

Sandy peered at him with intent. Above his head the scene of Pitch Black enveloping the Sandman in grains of night mares played out. Despite being golden, it looked gloomy for several seconds. Then it burst open, and Jack saw himself flying up as though pulled along by his staff that erupted with frost magic. Eyes like a lion shone in the Sandman's face.

“It's not like you never stood up for us,” Toothania told him in confident, soft manner.

Jack looked around and saw the same fierce visage on each of the Guardians. He nodded his head. With that, the team began to refine their plan. They studied the maps Jack drew and determined how best insure military reinforcements would not impede either Nick or Jack as they rescued the Hallans from imprisonment. Jack stated he felt very certain he could escape with Toothless without risking either of them. Nick also espoused the same confidence regarding Hiccup once he understood the proportions of the prison cell.

“It's gonna be a heck of a show!” Bunny exclaimed with an almost manic glee.

Later the evening Jack stood before great globe at the heart of the North Pole. A small team of elves looked as though they tried to polish it, but the in-fighting hampered their efforts. Reginald stood over the console and made certain the little bundles of delightful terror did not do any damage. Jack watched for a short time.

“They can't hurt... it?” He said in yetish.

“No, but they... do you know nuraphurumph?” Reginald started and ended with a question.

“The swarm of little ones who... ensure small... tiny disaster no matter what... how diffi... hard they try?” Jack drew out the translation. 

“Close enough,” Reginald said and laughed in the fluffy manner of the yeti. “That's not an... easy one to translate.”

“Tell me about it.”

Reginald threw him a look.

“That's not a complaint. Your language is so...” Jack paused for second and switched to English, “expressive. Just so many layers of meaning to even simple words.”

“Now do you know why we... only speak when... oolph... something important needs saying?” The yeti asked in its native tongue.

“Oh, yeah!”

Jack watched as Reginald punched a whole series of buttons on the console. The overhead viewing projection came on-line. Static files began to flicker one after the other, presenting pages of words, blacked out text, and strange images. Once again the yeti mastery of computers impressed the elemental Guardian to no end.

“Loorooloo pulled this together for you. She thought you... pherum... might want to know what they have planned,” Reginald said and stopped pressing keys. “This is not good, Jack Frost.”

Jack stepped up and began to read. Still images from the video of the fight between Toothless and the helicopters got referenced repeatedly in what he read. The blue glow of the balls of plasma figured prominently on one page. Jack struggled to read the German words. Reading and writing in a language always proved far more difficult from him versus learning the spoken word from children. Jack struggled to make sense of what he read, and finally turned a pleading eye to Reginald.

“It's... they want to know how he made that... siphamraphrum ... blue fire,” Reginald explained after a few moments. “They – what you call – x-rayed him.”

Jack tried not to look stunned by the yeti's use of an English word.

“He has several glands in his gut and neck that somehow... transform... hyphogen...”

“Hydrogen?” Jack guessed.

“Yes, that... into an isotope, and then into a superheated and supercharged ionized gas...”

“Plasma,” the Spirit of Fun clarified.

“As good a word for it as anything. Quite... remarkable,” Reginald concluded.

“I always thought something like that took place. I wonder what they'd make out of a... spokelsedrake or a flightmare?” Jack pondered and resorted back to his native language for the last part.

“What they are going to do with the black flying...”

“Don't!” Jack abruptly ordered. “Please don't say it like that. Creak uses similar words and...”

“Apologies, friend Jack. I did not know.”

The elemental young man and yeti regarded one another. Jack forced himself to relax. Reginald's small, dark eyes scanned him.

“Toothless,” the large yeti said the name as though it came naturally. “Jack, they're planning on dissecting him soon.”

“What!”

The word echoed around them, and even the elves halted mid-fight and slid off the globe. Jack could hear his panicked panting. A cold the likes of which he detested swam in his stomach.

“They wanted to see the interaction between Hiccup and Toothless first,” Reginald continued in a calm manner. “But they really hoped to be able to speak to Hiccup and find out how Toothless was... chiphorphum...”

“Engineered,” Jack breathed the word although it completely failed to capture the eloquence of the yeti word. “Great heavens, Reginald: Creak told me they're going to kill him.”

“That creature spends time there, then... because... it took Loorooloo a long time to get this... information.”

“Or he knows people.”

The yeti shrugged his huge shoulders. Jack's mind began to settle, but the sense of urgency remained. He gaped at the pages displayed before him.

“Reginald, you're German is better than mine, could you...”

Before he finished, Reginald began to read and translate the report into yeti. Several times Jack requested clarifications since the technical aspects exposed the technical nature of the yeti language. The dreadful details temporarily sidelined the Guardian's awe of the language. What he learned in those few minutes horrified him.

“Why would they execute Hiccup?” He yelled the question.

“They did destroy two gunships and killed four people,” Reginald offered a possible and very likely reason. “He is a... terrorist by their logic.”

“They shot at him first!”

“When he would not land.”

Jack threw a nasty glance at the yeti.

“I am not defending their actions, Jack Frost,” Reginald said in a slightly angered tone and his fingers danced along the keyboard. “I simply... interpret their intentions based on what... I am reading. That is all.”

“Sorry, Reginald,” Jack apologized.

The yeti snorted.

“How soon?” He asked and returned to main topic.

“Three... four days from today,” his large, furry friend stated. “Lethal injection since they want to preserve his body for examination. It looks... Hiccup's not... human, Jack.”

Jack twisted his head to one side.

“The arrangement of his internal organs is different. His heart rests below the lungs, and from this... they think his breathing and heat beat are... regulated in symbiotic unison. He...”

The yeti stopped and gazed at Jack.

“What?” The Spirit of Fun inquired.

“If this is accurate, and I think it is, Hiccup pulls... ophexgen directly from his lungs into his proportionately larger heart in a... much more efficient manner than you or me,” Reginald explained.

“I don't breathe... really.”

Reginald rolled his eyes and said: “But you did once, but not nearly as efficiently. Didn't you ever... wonder how his people can fly... without ophexgen tanks or masks?”

“Never thought about it to be honest.”

In yeti terms, the raising of a single eyebrow indicated Reginald questioned both Jack's intelligence and sanity. Jack tried not to take offense. He simply nodded once. Reginald returned to reading, and then whistled.

“Reginald?” Jack prodded.

“They did a... genetic scan on Toothless. His DNA is not DNA as we know it. There are two extra chemicals...”

Jack then got treated to the longest lecture on genetics he ever endured. From what he could gather, Toothless' DNA regularly broke along the bipolymer chain to form two distinct branches that eventually reunited back into a single chain. Within these new chemical compounds formed that never appeared in the DNA of any living creature on Earth. Reginald sounded fascinated as he read, and Jack just tried to understand the complicated language and privately vowed to learn more about nuclear genetics in the future.

“It explains why he has six limbs and a visio-acoustic sensory organ bats would envy! This creature can form pictures in its brain from dual echolocation and refracted light patterns!”

“Meaning what?” Jack begged and hoped for a simpler answer.

“Meaning these military people just discovered a new way to track objects no matter if stealth technology is used,” Reginald replied and his voice dropped an octave. “This changes the arms race, Jack Frost. This endangers Nicholas Saint North. You need to free Toothless before they can determine how his... siphamraphrum works!”

The stress in Reginald's voice did nothing to ease Jack's already stressed system. The rescue mission took on added importance given the dire consequences of leaving either Hiccup or Toothless in the hands of their captors. The elemental Guardian never once imagined the physical properties of either Hallan could be exploited for military purposes. It could well tip the balance of powers on the world to such a degree that whatever natural evolution awaited humans on Earth would be altered beyond recognition. At least on Halla the other tribes could also access dragons as a countermeasure.

Jack shudder as he considered the consequences and said: “I'll tell the others right now. This... we can't let any of that happen.”

“The mixing of worlds has never been good,” Reginald mumbled while Jack took flight to head to the main room, and the statement fueled the Jack's suspicions.

The next morning Hiccup sat in the interrogation room with his hand cuffed to the table. This time his captors did not appear to be in a good mood. Unlike other times when they attempted to converse with him in one of the Earth languages, they showed patience. Even the woman acted short with him. They presented him images on paper that looked pulled from real life. The familiar face of Toothless and the familiar glow of one of his plasma blasts sat dead center. The dark-skinned man with the graying hair pointed at the plasma ball.

“Wie kommt er die Eidechse, dies zu tun?” The man said in what could only be called a demanding voice.

“Dette er ikke naturlig, men vi vet ikke hvem som kan gjøre denne typen genteknologi,” added the woman in the same manner.

Hiccup heard the supposed words come out of their mouths, but he understood nothing. Of the two, only the woman came close to making recognizable syllables. However, the Viking did not hear a single word. The woman acted like she knew he could understand, but he stared at her in frustration. Their interest in Toothless and his fire-breathing ability made him nervous.

“Er ist entweder der größte Schauspieler der Welt oder ... und diesmal nicht spotten, er ist nicht von diesem Planeten,” the male captor said to his compatriot.

The woman rolled her gray eyes.

“Dass ... drachen Genetik machen keinen Sinn! Sie wissen, dass es so gut wie ich!”

“Dann sind, wo die anderen? Wie kam er hierher? Wo ist sein Schiff? Warum wurde er trägt Lederrüstung, das sieht aus wie es gerade aus dem Mittelalter kam? Huh?” The woman barked at the man.

The Hallan Viking watched the exchange. He could identify a disagreement since he and Astrid often spoke to one another in the same fashion on multiple occasions when discussing dragon business, although for the past six months they said little to one another. Apparently, he surmised, his two interrogators disagreed over something regarding Toothless. Even if he could speak their language, Hiccup did not know how much he would tell them about Toothless. They appeared far too interested in the dragon for it to mean any good.

“Nichts an diesem Mann sagt High-Tech,” the blonde-haired woman huffed.

The dark man glared first at Hiccup, then the picture, and finally at the table top.

“Ich gebe zu, er ist ein Rätsel, aber ich glauben nicht, dass er handeln, und ich glaube nicht, dass er ist dämlich,” she spoke up after a few moments. She faced him a, pointed at the picture of Toothless and said: “Hvor fikk du denne skapningen?”

Hiccup gazed at her in confusion. Time and again she sounded close to saying something intelligible, but only garbled syllables came out of her mouth. The Viking grew tired of the game. As a result, he slumped in his chair. Both lead captors narrowed their eyes at him.

“What do you want me to say? It's a dragon. He's a night fury. There're not a lot of them, I know, but it's not like his kind have never been seen...” and Hiccup paused for a second. His eyes shifted back and forth between the two. “But you've never seen one. You don't have dragons here. You don't know what Toothless is... and you're afraid of him.”

“Toot-hlephs! Toot-hlephs!” The woman repeated. “Du fortsetter å si det navnet, og du har å bety skapning, men hvorfor? Hva betyr det egentlig?”

Hiccup sat up and leaned forward as much as he could. He looked right at the woman and said: “Listen to me and learn what I am saying.”

The young Viking man then looked directly at the picture of his beloved winged friend and slowly said: “Toothless. Dragon. Toothless. Dragon.”

“Toot-hlephs? trah...ker...jahn?” She repeated while also looking at the photo.

“Close enough, I guess,” he mumbled, but then said more loudly: “Dragon. Toothless is a dragon.”

“Trahker... jahn,” the man took his turn, and it came closer to Hiccup's pronunciation.

Hiccup nodded.

“Toot-hlephs er en trahkerjahn,” the stern looking female muttered. “Drage?”

“Warum nicht? Es sicher wie die Hölle aussieht und wirkt wie ein!”

After the man spoke, the two glanced at one another. The man shrugged. With a less hostile look on her face, she turned to Hiccup again.

“Toot-hlephs. Trahkerjahn. Toot-hlephs. Trakkerjahn,” she said in a fair approximation of the words the Viking used.

“Yes! Toothless. Dragon. He's a dragon!” He burbled relieved that they seemed to finally understand two words. Then he grumbled, “But you still sound demented when you say it like that.”

“Du er ikke herfra, er du?” The blonde woman intoned, and it sounded like a question.

Hiccup stared blankly at her. The moment of connection quickly dissolved as the woman spoke rapidly at him as though he suddenly could make sense of her language. Frustration huddled around the table when further communication failed. After another fruitless hour passed, the team apparently gave up on the Hallan for that day. Hiccup got led back to his cell with hands bound and a hood over his head. They followed one of their three favorite routes, although Hiccup knew they only traveled roughly forty or fifty linear feet. Once in his cell and freed of the manacles and hood, he slouched down on his stone couch and surveyed the room.

“How is he is going to get me out of this place?” Hiccup wondered aloud. “He's not going to kill these people... is he?”

The question hung in the air. Jack said someone else would free him, the Viking remembered, while the elemental Guardian went off to rescue Toothless, and he quickly assumed it would be the one he called Santa. A giant rabbit, a fairy, or a man made out of sand would attract too much attention; however, a large man – if Jack's descriptions proved accurate – appearing from nowhere would also create instant and intense interest. The Viking realized he simply did not know enough about the rest of the Guardians and their abilities to formulate a good hypothesis. In the end, he realized he needed to trust Jack's instructions.

“Little flyer,” the words came out the thin air and grated along Hiccup's nerves.

He ignored the taunt.

“Soon, flying boy, soon they cut up black flying lizard. Them who keeps you wants to know what's inside of the lizard,” Pulhu said in a jovial but completely nasty manner.

“He's not a lizard,” Hiccup rejoined and tried to keep from reacting.

“Then they cut up you.”

Hiccup's head jerked upward and he searched for the tell-tale sign of the monster. To one side, a yard away, he spotted the barely visible glowing orange patches. The being stared at him with maligned intent.

“Flying boy not like these humans,” Pulhu rumbled with perverse joy. “They see inside of him and see things different. They want to know why.”

“See inside of me? How?” He challenged the strange assertion.

“Machines, little alone flyer. Machines can see in you, in black flying lizard, and many things not the same. They cut you open to see why. They talks about your making and want to know why.”

Based on what he already experienced, the news justifiably unsettled Hiccup. He vaguely recalled being manhandled for a long time when they first brought him to the prison. They drugged him, the Viking knew, and it made his first day in their prison a surreal nightmare of disjointed images in his memory. Then Hiccup sometimes thought he heard the screams of other people he knew these particular Earthlings kept in captivity. One issue got revealed in the revolting creature's words: if they planned dissecting both he and Toothless, neither would be alive. The Viking knew he did not want to die in the place.

“So they're going to kill us, huh?” He asked so he could hear himself say it.

“One bullet in head – boom! – and little flying boy gone,” the monster quietly cackled.

“What's a bullet?”

The eyes titled to one side, and Hiccup could just discern the faint outline of the head of the foul being.

“Metal tubes that spit fire and death... made holes in lizard's wings.”

“Oh, those,” Hiccup ruefully retorted. “Yeah, we've come across those.”

“Why for does round light man and cold boy let them do this?”

Hiccup searched through his memories and rediscovered that the creature called The Man in the Moon a round light man. It seemed odd to him in that moment the monster never referred to anything by name except itself. However, the descriptions tended to be apt. Aside from that puzzle, he also wondered to what end creating fear and terror served the beast. Hiccup fought the sense of rising panic in his gut at the knowledge his captors intended to end his life so they could study his body, and the same went for Toothless.

“How do you know they're not planning on freeing me from this place?” He countered with the only question that could fend off the fear.

“And where are the Guardians? Hmm? They have no care for you,” Pulhu said with clear distaste.

“Why? Because I still sit here? I've still got time.”

“But so little. Keepers grow weary of flying boy's useless words. Soon they have no use for little flyer but what is inside him.”

“How do you know all this?” Hiccup half-growled the question.

“Pulhu will watch when they come for flying boy and put bullet in head. So afraid you will be. So alone. All alone when death comes. So all alone,” the creature nearly giggled the phrases and did not answer the question.

Only the thought Jack found him the day before kept Hiccup from collapsing under the weight of the fear the predictions inspired. He held fast to the promise of freedom from the dreadful prison, and the promise to escape the death apparently waiting for him. Moreover, the notion Toothless would again take to the sky gave him hope. As the thoughts took root, he heard the monster snarl. The orange blob of eyes raced toward him.

“No fear for Pulhu?” It inquired while nearly nose to nose. “Why no fear?”

Hiccup swallowed against what seemed like a natural reaction and said: “Doesn't death come for us all? It will come for you one day.”

Hot, dry vapors issued from the being's mouth and wafted across his face. Hiccup tried not to breathe it in. He began to sweat.

“Death only comes for Pulhu when fear dies... and fear never dies!”

The Viking's eyes popped open and he stared at the orange orbs as comprehension took over. He began to grin. The monster growled at him.

“That's what you are: you're fear. Like Jack is made from cold, you're made from fear,” he spoke as much to himself as to Pulhu. He continued: “And that's why you hate Jack and the Guardians: they stop children from being afraid.”

“Pah,” Pulhu hissed at him. “Guardians are nothing.”

Against all likelihood, Hiccup began to laugh. More than once he heard some villainous person make a claim as to the ineffectiveness of someone else, usually him, only to be proved wrong. Mocking or scoffing at what one feared tended to be a last bastion. Hiccup knew this because of the brave face he tried to present to Pulhu. Thus, to hear the twisted wraith spit on the name of the Guardians became a telling sign. As he laughed, an eerie, bone chilling keening sound came out of the monster. Hiccup stopped.

“Little flying boy so brave when so alone,” it said and ran a twig-like finger down his face. “Lizard and boy die soon, soonest. Cold boy not save you, and Pulhu will eat your fear when you scream. Little flyer will die, alone, most alone, and afraid.”

A horrible pressure existed both on the inside and outside of the Viking's head. Something terrible wanted to seep in while the terror tried to escape into the wild. Hiccup swallowed against a dry throat as he sought to hold himself together. He guessed it to be an effect of the creature, what it used to milk fear from a person, and he did not want to give into it. The strange battle caused Hiccup to feel light headed and rather nauseous. The world swam in circles and he felt as though he fell off his bed.

Seconds later he shook his head. Pulhu disappeared and his cell appeared normal. However, the lingering sensation something awful took place did not evaporate. Never in all his short time with Jack did the elemental Guardian use magic on him in such a vile manner. Granted, the one time they flew at supersonic speeds would never be forgotten, but it did not carry such a threatening undertone. The Viking sat up and stared at his reflection.

“Oh, gods! I think I challenged that... thing,” he mumbled and became worried.

Far above Hiccup's head an abandoned village sat sagging under the weight of decay and time, or so it looked. Buildings, old houses, and other ramshackle structures looked incapable of standing upright in a strong breeze. Paint, looking sun-bleached and gritty, peeled from casements and clapboards in an almost artistic manner. Old telephone lines hung from poles and entry points, but the ends gave the impression of being cut instead of snapping. Random bits of debris and paper lay scattered along the long unused roads, except one might question why tire tracks seemed a bit too fresh. Moreover, the complete absence of animal life became distinctly noticeable since a setting such as that would provide much needed habitation for small creatures. A passing glance told any casual observers to ignore the ruination and move along. A careful study revealed the scene to be wholly constructed.

The five Guardians sat well off to one side behind a small but thick growth of trees. Jack's stomach gradually settled after the nauseating trip through Nick's tunnel. All save Bunny wore similar expressions. Bunny eyes swept over the assembled.

“Impressive, huh?” He asked.

“It looks like much of nothing but old town,” Nick replied while peering through the trees.

“It's a ruse,” Jack flatly rejoined. “It's how they want people to see it.”

“I'd fly right over it and never give this place a second thought,” Toothania remarked.

“Exactly, and that's what makes it so impressive,” Bunny concluded, and then glanced at the Sandman. “What do you think, little man?”

A question mark slowly formed over Sandy's head. A concerned expression crinkled his facial features. He stared at the sagging wire fencing.

“Electrified,” Jack responded to his gaze, “and enough to knock any person out... might even kill ‘em if they fall on it and can't get off.”

“The whole place is designed to keep most people out and certain people in,” the Pooka explained. “Right, Jack?”

The youngest of the five nodded his head. His white hair moved in counter-time. Jack gripped his crook and streaks of ice crystals formed on the surface. Since he hated to wait, he began to draw in the dirt while the late afternoon sun provided light, and that would end within minutes. He sketched out the grounds as he knew them, of which all memorized the day before, and added their relative position.

“When the sun goes down, we go in. As soon as you see me enter the building, count to ten and begin,” Jack said. “Nick, the room is about ten by twelve feet, so you need to center yourself in it. Sandy?”

The day before the Sandman repeated the trick of sharing a memory with Jack and obtained the vital information. He then projected an accurate scale model of the room above his head. The cement couch, the steel toilet and washbasin, and then a perfect likeness of Hiccup appeared in the right locations. Nick focused on the image with incredible intensity. Finally, a swirling vortex, one of Santa Claus' travel vortices, came into view. Out of it stepped a miniature Nick. The tiny Hiccup stood while the tiny Nick beckoned. The two then stepped into the portal together and it closed behind them. Jack grinned at the careful display, but it did not convey humor.

“This I can do,” Nick rumbled. “Is your man going to know what to do?”

“I told Hiccup to wait on the bed until you arrived, but that's it. We didn't have a lot of time to talk,” Jack reported, repeating what he said at least a dozen times the day before. “Bunny, you keep an eye on the ground forces up top and cause them problems if they start to deploy. Toothania, you and the fairies need to circle the compound and watch for air support. Distract and confuse any helicopters that try come in.”

The two bobbed their heads in unison and wore grim expressions. Satisfied they knew their parts, Jack turned to the Sandman who gazed up at him.

“Sandy, if alarms start to go off, you'll have to flood the air vents with dream sand... located here, here, here, and here,” the Spirit of Fun explained and poked the ground with his staff to point out the spots. “Some of the military personnel might put on gas masks if the alarms sound, but that should give Nick enough time to get Hiccup out. Got it?”

The Sandman nodded, even though he helped devise the plan. Jack realized they reviewed the plan not more than a half an hour before, and many times during the day, but arriving at the real location seemed to warrant another round. No one seemed to mind or protested. Jack then felt a large hand on his shoulder.

“It's a good plan, kid,” Bunny stated. “And you know what to do about the dragon?”

“I fly in fast, immaterial, and invisible. When I get to him, I channel as much energy into Toothless as quickly as I can and dematerialize the both of us. Then I fly him out since he's probably too weak to do it on his own,” Jack recited his role.

“And if the alarms trigger?” Nick inquired on the heels of Jack.

“Then I still get Toothless out. I can always go back for Hiccup afterward... but I really want to get both out at the same time! Who knows what these people will do to the prisoners if the security gets activated.”

“Understood,” Toothania confirmed what they all seemed to want.

“This will work,” the large man in red said, but Jack suspected it came in response to an internal conversation.

A golden yellow fist with a thumb pointing upward took form over Sandy's head. While Jack tried to silently convey his thanks, the sun dipped below the horizon. For the first time he got to witness what happened to the Sandman when the sun set. A golden aura surrounded the small man, and he literally grew an inch and his chest puffed out as power flowed into him. Grains of dream sand formed around his feet, causing Sandy to hover slightly. A sense of peace settled over Jack, and he saw the others fall under the spell as well. It buoyed his mood.

“This never gets old,” Bunny whispered in an awed voice.

“It's time,” Jack said even though he started to think a nap might be in order.

With that and fighting off the effects of the dream power, he turned immaterial and semi-opaque.

“You look like a ghost,” Nick quipped.

“You sound like Gobber,” Jack retorted, but his words carried only respect. “Watch for my hand to appear and disappear. That'll mean I'm heading in.”

Then Jack vanished. He briefly noted the subtle, surprised expressions on his friends. He alone among the Guardians could completely disappear when not in the presence of adults, although Sandy could also dematerialize and travel through barriers. With his crook leading the way, Jack sailed through the trees, over the short expanse, up and over the fence, and to the house hiding the entrance to the prison. He passed though the broken, open wind and stopped. With his free left hand, he held it aloft and let it become visible for three seconds. Then it popped out of sight. He also began to count down as he aimed for the stairwell.

“One, one-thousand,” he allowed himself to whisper a single time. The next count happened only in his head.

Because Jack did not possess a total familiarity with the layout, he followed the route he knew as he slipped through walls, down stairs, and into hallways. The silence of the complex hit him again as something terribly wrong for a congregation of people. Humans liked to make noise, but this showed how fully they could control themselves. Jack reached the count of five in his head while zipping down the large aisle. He neared the cell holding the dragon. Seven, one-thousand passed through his mind.

“No, little cold boy,” a voice hissed.

Alarms blared through the compound. Lights flashed. People began to rush around or press themselves against walls. Orders got shouted in three languages. Jack felt his mind go numb, unable to figure out what happened. It took four people passing through him before he shoved aside his mental confusion. He shot down the last remaining piece of hall toward Toothless' room. Across from it sat one of the control and staging areas. As the red and white lights strobed in conjunction with the alarms, he saw it. Two pale orange dots hovered near a panel covered with important looking buttons and blinking indicators. A translucent stick-like finger punched a button, sending the alarms wailing anew.

“Damn him!” Jack grunted.

Since the original plan went sour with the alarms, the back-up one came to the fore. The elemental Guardian continued onward to Toothless' cell. He zipped through the wall, and his heart sank. Six guards stood around Toothless with guns pointed directly at the dragon. Jack tried to calculate if he could dematerialize the beast fast enough before bullets started to fly. He instantly dismissed the option of getting Toothless killed in the attempt.

Anger began to blossom in his chest. Anger at those who held the Hallans captive got eclipsed by his anger at Creak for triggering the alarms. In response, his body began to cull energy. He made a quick assessment and decided he could risk distracting the guards. Thus, against all the rules taught to him by the other Guardians, Jack began to act like he did before becoming one of them. He held out his hands, and then saw the dragon's head attempt to raise and look at him.

“Hi,” Jack said aloud.

Within seconds the floor became a sheet of ice as power poured out of his hands. Several of the guards gasped in surprise. When two tried to move to a new position, the unexpectedly slick surface caused them to fall. They took down two more guards as they lost their footing. The upright two tried to maintain their balance by allowing the arms to splay out on either side of their bodies. As the four guards lying on the ice thrashed around, it meant none aimed a weapon at the dragon. Jack made his move.

The elemental Guardian snaked around the confused guards. He spied Toothless watching him. A second later he hovered over the dragon and allowed his limbs to become partially solid. Jack flung his arms around the stout neck and began direct energy. Unlike on Halla, the power immediately reacted and surged like a tsunami. It flooded into him and then into the dragon. Less than three seconds passed before he deemed the dragon ready. He made Toothless immaterial, heard the creature snort, and then made him invisible. Chains, the head cage, and the shackles fell away and clanked on the ground. The guards began to yell in their astonishment, but the icy floor meant they could not bring their guns to bear.

“Hold still,” Jack ordered Toothless, and then added: “Take me home, wind!”

A strong, sub-zero gale whipped around the confined room. The two standing guards fell down, and one discharged a weapon. The bullet ricocheted while Jack and Toothless floated upward. As they passed through the ceiling, the dragon suddenly began to thrash. The Guardian suspected the animal might react negatively to moving through the ground, so he held on with all his might. Toothless felt solid to him since they shared the same dimensional phase plane. Toothless bucked but could not dislodge Jack.

“Almost there,” he promised the dragon while guiding them upward.

Toothless bellowed. His roar rang in Jack's ears even though they just managed to clear the ground. An infuriated night fury now struggled beneath him. Without warning, a plasma bolt shot out of the large maw, but is passed harmlessly into the ground. The lack of explosion appeared to puzzle Toothless, and he went motionless.

“Welcome to my world,” Jack calmly told the dragon. “Won't do anything as long as we're like this, so just relax.”

The dragon roared again, but a plaintive quality echoed in the sound. As they continued to move through the edge of building and into the sky, Jack realized Toothless called out for Hiccup. Part of his preparations the day before included a contingency plan should Hiccup and Toothless fail to get immediately reunited. He hoped Sandy remembered what to do as well. Thus, with his arms latched firmly around a distressed creature with rather incredible powers of its own, he guided them into the sky and looked for a golden glow. Toothless roared again, a loud clarion of anger, fear, and frustration.

“Sandy!” Jack yelled when he spotted his friend's distinctive signature and allowed both he and the dragon to become semi-transparent.

Four tendrils of yellow snaked down from the heights to the ground, but vanished when the name got called. On a cloud of dream sand the Sandman sailed toward them. Toothless spotted Sandy as well, and growled in warning.

“He's my friend, Toothless. Don't blast him!” Jack begged as he realized he did not know what would happen if the dragon let loose with a plasma bolt while in immaterial form at another Guardian.

Toothless continued to growl but did not fire. The Sandman came up to look, and he suddenly wore a worried expression when he spied the dragon beneath Jack. Toothless' head followed the progress of the small man.

“Just enough to daze him,” Jack requested, and it sounded more like begging.

Sandy raised his hands. Toothless snarled and Jack caught sight of the blue glow.

“Dodge!”

The Sandman rocketed to one side as a blue ball of destruction whipped past him. A yellow haze of dream sand enveloped the dragon's head within a second. Jack felt the body go lax. The neck lost tension. Wings unfurled and drooped lazily on either side. Toothless let out a long sigh.

A question mark formed over Sandy's head.

“Creak. He was there. He set off the alarms,” Jack reported.

The Sandman looked stunned.

“Tell me about it,” the younger Guardian grunted. “Where's Bunny? I've got to get Toothless to the Pole before your sand wears off.”

The notion an irate dragon might suddenly became an issue caused the Sandman to respond in short order. He pointed to the ground, not far from where they made their final preparations little more than five minutes before. Although Toothless ceased struggling, Jack now contended with what amounted to over half a ton of dead weight. He called upon his preternatural strength to help him guide the dragon to the ground. As they started to float downward, Sandy's head spun to one side just as Jack heard it.

“I hope Toothania is ready,” he remarked and shifted back into invisible form.

The sound of helicopters grew steadily louder. Toothless raised his head and swung it around looking for the source. It seemed he did not forget his last encounter with the machines. Ten seconds later the rotary engines began to whine in the distance. Jack could only guess what caused them to veer off course and take evasive action, and he hoped none of the brave little fairy minions who volunteered for the mission got hurt. Jack did not waste time and then approached the ground at a faster speed while helicopters performed various aerial maneuvers. Just before he and his cargo hit, he halted in a jerking motion.

“Bunny! Transport tunnel!” He called out as the Pooka raced toward them.

“Whoa! Big!” Bunny said when he spied Toothless.

“Yes, it's a dragon, like I told you a hundred times,” Jack spat out the words. “Now open a tunnel so I can get him out of here.”

“Ah... will do.”

Bunny tapped his foot twice on the ground, but his eyes never left Toothless.

“You're really not going to like this,” Jack warned the currently docile creature. He hoped Sandy applied enough sand on the dragon for it to last the short trip.

The Guardian and the winged Hallan dropped into the hole in the ground. Hugging Toothless as tightly as he could made the strange journey feel less so. The dragon never reacted.

In the span it took to cough three times, they emerged into a specially prepared chamber in the North Pole fortress. In some regards Jack thought Toothless traded one cell for another, except this time there would be no chains or a cage. Instead, the room got appointed with a large disk of wood, a trough of water, and a huge barrel of fish. Thick stone doors sat closed on one side, and the elemental man knew them to be barred on the other. Jack set Toothless carefully on the ground once the transport tunnel closed. He released his grip, released the magic, and flew around to face the dragon.

“Hur,” the ebony mouth uttered while the great yellow-green eyes stared unfocused at some distant point.

Jack scratched under the chin in the places the dragon enjoyed most. Toothless' head extended outward as he accepted the caress. Thus and aware the tide would turn when the magic dust wore off, Jack spent as much time comforting Toothless as best he could. Without Hiccup around, he worried the dragon might become a dangerously unpredictable element.

“Your free now, pal,” he cooed in a soothing voice. “Hiccup will be coming home in a little bit.”

Toothless rumbled with an odd sound showing he definitely remained under the spell of dream sand. The unusual trill carried discordant notes, and Jack suspected the dragon to be very unhappy. Given all that Toothless experienced, he could not blame the beast. He hoped he created enough of a connection with the dragon to help it maintain composure. To help secure that end, he applied himself to catering to Toothless' needs.


	12. Chapter 12

“Now they have Nick!” Bunny shouted at the remaining Guardians. “How could they get him? Didn't he hear the alarms?”

“He jumped into his tunnel right before the alarms went off,” Toothania told them. “It was too late to stop him.”

Over an hour expired before the rest of the Guardians arrived at the North Pole. The yeti fretted and told Jack they did not like having a dragon inside the castle. Jack got the bizarre impression they encountered something like Toothless in the distant past. Toothless became increasing agitated the longer he waited for Hiccup to appear and the effects of the dream sand wore off. Jack tried to explain it would be a while yet, but the dragon did not pay him the same mind as he did his rider. When Jack departed the room, Toothless spent a good deal of effort attempting to blast down the doors. The yeti told him the animal might succeed.

“How did this happen? Now we have to rescue two of them, and this time it won't be a picnic!” The Pooka continued to holler.

“It was Creak,” Jack said again in a low, threatening tone. “He set off the alarms. I saw his eyes.”

“Does that bloody bugger have free reign over there? Does he work for them?”

None could answer Bunny's loud questions, but Jack doubted the fear monster actively worked with the humans. It made sense he would find the prison an irresistible feeding ground given what occurred in the horrid place. His presence there went a long way in explaining how he knew about Hiccup and Toothless and what got planned for them. Jack wondered if the hideous being also tormented Hiccup, which he immediately took as a certainty. A small piece of the elemental Guardian's mind got instantly dedicated to figuring out a way to eradicate Creak.

“And what are we going to do about that bleeding dragon? He's tearing strips out of that room!” E Aster Bunnymund demanded and stared right at Jack.

“I'll get him to calm down, but he needs to blow off steam first. Don't forget he's been trapped and probably tortured for two weeks... and Hiccup is not here,” he reminded his compatriot.

At the word torture Bunny froze. A complex series of expressions converged on the fur-covered face. The large eyes narrowed. It became impossible to guess what went on in the mind of the Pooka.

“Right,” Bunny half-growled.

“I'd kind of like to see Toothless for myself,” Toothania said in an off-handed manner.

“It's probably not a good idea until Hiccup gets here. He might mistake you for a dragon he doesn't know about, and that could be trouble for you,” Jack told her, and he meant it. He swung his head over to Sandy and added: “Same for you. Toothless might remember you're the one who sort of knocked him out.”

The Sandman bobbed his head several times in agreement. Having been on the receiving end of a plasma blast, Jack suspected Sandy respected the power of the dragon. A wrathful dragon, even one predisposed to being friendly toward people, could be deadly.

“Okay, we can yabber about the dragon later, but we've got to free Nick and Hiccup first... especially Nick!” Bunny returned to the central topic.

“They're both equally important,” Jack angrily rejoined.

“That's not what I meant, Jack...”

“Yes, it was, and you're forgetting they want to dissect Hiccup to find out what makes him tick. He's... well, a different species of human,” the elemental Guardian said and his temper cooled as he talked. “They really wanted to get inside of Toothless and figure out how to weaponize his ability to make plasma.”

The three other Guardians regarded him for a moment.

“We'll talk about that later, but right now how do we get them out?” The large rabbit-like person refocused.

“I go in solo,” Jack said before anyone could answer Bunny.

“That's not smart, Jack,” Toothania quickly rounded on him.

“Really? I'm the only one who can go in undetected...”

Sandy waved his hands and got everyone's attention. Above his head two round patches appeared and took on an orange hue. His meaning stood out clear.

“He's right, Jack,” said the Pooka in a less blustery manner. He stopped pacing and leaned against the wall and fiddled with a boomerang. “That... thing... whatever it is knew we were coming. Creak used that place like a trap... and it worked.”

They all paused to think for a moment.

“If I go in alone, I can scout again before I do anything,” Jack finally began to speak and tried to form a plan at the same time. “I can bring one of Nick's globes to him...”

“What if he's bound?” Toothania rightly inquired.

“Well, I know I can make just about anything go immaterial, so I can free his hands and feet... his whole body if I have to...”

“And tip off those nut-jobs that someone like you actually exists and is working against them,” Bunny interjected. “That mob is going to be waiting, especially since a dragon got flogged right out from under them. You could've got sprung as well, mate!”

“But... sprung?”

Bunny rolled his eyes said: “Caught.”

“Kind of the opposite meaning, isn't it?” Jack asked.

“Like in a trap,” Bunny huffed and made a visible effort to control himself. His paws flexed around the boomerangs gripped tightly in each one. “We can have a go at Aussie words later, but right now...”

“Yes, they know someone... something unusual got in there,” Jack conceded both the point and the fight on words. “But they've been staring at a dragon for two weeks, so... probably not a huge surprise.”

“Did they see you?” Toothania jumped in as she fluttered from one side of the table to the other, a habit of hers when she got agitated or nervous.

“No, I never went visible when I got Toothless. You forget he can see me no matter what state I'm in, and he did know I was there when I showed up.”

The Sandman waved his arms again. They all gave him there attention. He pointed to the two orange blobs above his head. Sandy then folded his arms and frowned.

“Still an issue,” Toothania agreed.

“We've got to distract Creak,” Jack mused.

An exclamation appeared above the Sandman.

When all eyes turned to him, a quick series of moving images took shape. It showed Toothania and her faeries collecting teeth; Bunny spreading spring when not preparing eggs; and the Sandman doing his nightly rounds. The scenes repeated but got faster.

“Right, those are our jobs,” Bunny grumbled.

“Our jobs,” Toothania whispered and then brightened. “Exactly! We do our jobs, but we go out and really do it. We take from Creak what he wants. He can't ignore us if we're getting rid of fear!”

“Perfect!” Jack hummed as his brain grabbed onto the idea. “If we're diminishing fear, then he needs to counter us. I hate to say it, but think Hiccup and Nick need to spend at least one more day in that prison.”

“I don't know if that's such a good idea, mate,” Bunny said with dark uncertainty in his words. “They're going to seriously poke and prod at Nick trying to figure out how he got in there.”

“Well, I hope he tells them the truth ‘cause they'll never believe it.”

Toothania grinned at Jack after he made the statement. His play on the word ‘believe' even amused the Sandman, who also smirked at the reference. Bunny regarded his teammates for a moment.

“So today and tonight we go out and be Guardians even though the man you love and the man we all look to are being held captive and – and you said this yourself – might be tortured,” summarized the Pooka.

“I don't like it any better than you... and Hiccup is going to be furious because I broke my promise to get him out today, but... he'll understand once I explain what we're up against,” Jack slowly said as if trying to simultaneously convince himself. “We've got to take Creak out of the picture, Bunny, or he'll just mess up our plans again. We need to take the fight to him this time and give him something to worry about.”

Sandy nodded and his smile turned into a hard, thin line on his face. Toothania also appeared determined. The two gazed at Bunny, and Jack turned his attention there as well.

“Alright,” Bunny eventually conceded to the force of the three stares. “Today and tonight we'll go out and be Guardians for the children. Tomorrow we can be the Magnificent Seven... er, Four.”

“By this time tomorrow, I'll work out exactly how to get Hiccup and Nick free,” Jack said as the Guardians began to adjourn.

“Better go see to that dragon first before he goes totally bongo and gets out of that room,” Bunny advised. “You know the yeti are flammable, right?”

“Just the yeti?” Toothania said in a rather nasty manner.

Jack departed as Bunny aimed a vicious glance at the Tooth Fairy. However, the Pooka did raise an important issue. They, or more precisely he, needed to keep Toothless subdued to make certain Hiccup could return to a dragon and Nick would find his home still standing. The elemental Guardian switched to immaterial mode and flew through the walls and floors until he reached Toothless designated cell. All seemed quiescent at the moment. He stepped carefully through the thick, stone, heavily barred double-doors.

A plasma bolt shot through him and smashed against the doors. Chips of stone rained down amid the smoke. It felt like a small earthquake took place. Jack imagined he could feel the heat of the shot.

“Come on, pal, it's me: Jack,” Jack said and drifted forward.

Toothless crouched and looked ready to pounce. Several hours of rest, real food, and plentiful water appeared to revive him quite a bit, but Jack could still see signs of the ordeal. The hide, normally a semi-iridescent black, seemed a little too dull. The wings appeared to droop some even though the dragon held them to his body. In some ways, Toothless looked exhausted. Jack crossed his legs into a sitting posture as he floated forward. Toothless growled at him.

“I know you're mad. You should be. What happened to you never should've happened, Toothless,” Jack decided to speak evenly and plainly at the angered creature. “Things didn't go as planned. Hiccup...

Toothless raised his eye ridges at the name.

“Is still trapped there, and I want him here as much as you do.”

Jack let his head tilt forward as the events of the evening finally began take a toll on him. His inability to free Hiccup weighed heavily on his conscience. While securing Toothless made him feel a bit better because he knew Hiccup would put the welfare of the dragon first, Jack could not dislodge the notion he somehow did not live up to his moniker as a Guardian. Despite being in his elemental form, tears still welled in his eyes.

“I failed him, Toothless... when he needed me most,” the youngest Guardian said in a quiet voice that cracked toward the end.

A black face with enormous yellow-green eyes emerged through his legs. Toothless regarded him with what amounted to an understanding expression. Jack floated back a bit, became solid, and wrapped his arms around the dragon's neck. Waves of guilt crashed against him while his crook crashed to the floor, and Jack allowed himself to have a human moment as he gave in and cried. He hugged Toothless as though holding onto a rock in the middle of a wild sea during a tempest. Toothless softly warbled.

“I... failed you... too,” Jack heaved out the words. “I'm so... sorry.”

Terrible images of what might befall Hiccup began to play out in his mind. His body shook as he recoiled in horror. All of the reports Loorooloo managed to secure proved those holding Hiccup fully intended to execute him and slice him up like a high school experiment. Jack feared the failed attempt to free the Hallan might cause the timetable to be advanced. In the midst of that waking nightmare, the face of Nicholas Saint North entered his thoughts. Nick, he guessed and it caused a horrible ache to be added to his woes, would likely face the same fate. Jack began to feel The Man in the Moon erred in making him a Guardian.

“What... have... I... done?” The seemingly young man begged the question, but no one answered.

Instead, two huge black wings encircled him and pulled him closer to the midnight body. Warmth from the dragon's body mixed with the cool of his elemental skin. Although he could never remember if he consciously willed it, Jack took on his mortal form. It seemed right given his heart felt like it broke into pieces. The notion Toothless might face a life without his best friend tore at Guardian. He sobbed at the realization of all that could happen took shape in his mind. He felt his actions fell far short of the needs and the results would dearly cost everyone.

Toothless curled around the quaking form of the young mortal-looking man. The dragon cooed. Together they sat on the floor of the room in the North Pole fortress as the full weight of responsibility of being both a Guardian and in love fell over Jack Frost. From the outside, a thin young man with brown hair and reddened brown eyes sat huddled in the protective embrace of what should have been a mythical creature on Earth.

Half a world away Hiccup sat looking at the spot where the air just seemed to open up and a man dressed in red and white stepped through. Based on everything Jack told him, he could identify the man as Santa Claus. The white beard that looked streaked with soot hung down form a round face and eyes so blue they seemed to capture the panoply of the sky in one twinkling. For a brief moment all the wonders he heard about came to life. Then, reality intruded.

The door burst open. Men and women dressed in the familiar black and armed with the deadly metal tubes stormed the room. Before Santa Claus could jump back into the hole in the air, he got surrounded. The large man mumbled a word, and the vortex closed shut with an unearthly hiss and snap. Santa then raised his arms. The sleeves of his red jacket trimmed with white fur slid down revealing thick forearms decorated with a myriad of designs. The man looked down at him. A sad smile crossed his face just before several of the guards jumped on top of him and pinned him to the ground. In less than thirty seconds, Hiccup wound up alone in his cell staring at his reflections while lights flashed and klaxons blared.

In the time since they dragged Santa away, the cell once more oozed a lethal silence. The prison resumed its quiet operations. Chaos got replaced by tight order. Only once did his captors show up, threw unintelligible words at him, and then left in what seemed to be outrage and panic. After sitting alone for a long while, Hiccup decided to wrap the lumpy, thin pillow around his head. He gave up trying to figure out what went wrong with the Guardians' plan. The Viking took solace in memories.

“You know skrill are fast, tough, and they hold a grudge?” He informed Jack what seemed a lifetime ago. “You get one chance to try and befriend it... if it doesn't try to kill you first.”

“I thought you said these dragons can be tamed?” Jack inquired while tying a pack on Toothless' back.

“They can be, but... alright, so Mo found an injured one and that's how she managed to gain its trust: she saved its life.”

“So we're going to try and find an injured dragon? Are you trying to get me killed?”

“This was your idea in case you forgot!”

Hiccup and Jack eyed one another from opposite sides of the Toothless. The dragon snorted and sighed. Both young men stood dressed in their riding attire. Various packs of equipment lay about the dragon on the front stoop of the house. Several of the villagers stood to one side and whispered to each other. Hiccup and Jack learned to ignore such attention. They focused on getting ready for what each knew could be a very dangerous endeavor.

“I'm surprised Moat hasn't gotten electrocuted yet by her skrill,” Jack remarked when the resumed attaching bundles to Toothless.

“Sparkletongue...”

Jack groaned at the name.

“I know: my people have a lot of issues with names,” Hiccup declared and did not disguise his disdain, and then shrugged. “Toothless isn't that great either.”

Jack wisely did not say a word or show a single sign of reaction.

“Mo's dragon doesn't discharge when they're on the ground. We're not totally ignorant about lighting,” the Viking stated.

“I know. How's Gobber doing on creating rubber ‘cause that would help?”

“Black slick isn't that plentiful on the surface, and it would take a whispering death to dig through the ground like you explained... and even then we don't know if we'd find any.”

“Ever find any dinosaur bones?” The brown-haired human inquired.

“And do you think we could tell the difference between those and dragon bones?”

“Like I told you: they're petrified and turned to stone.”

“Maybe we should go after a whispering death for you since a lot of your ideas seem to require one,” Hiccup suggested in a casual but slightly wicked tone.

“Ah, no thanks!” Jack declined with hardly a need to think about the proposal.

The two acted in unison as they retrieved packs and carefully arranged them on the back of Toothless. Despite being relatively smaller in size than a number of other types of dragon, night furies tended to have more muscle mass. Thus, Jack did not think his weight and the weight of the gear would strain the animal. Hiccup assured him Toothless would be fine.

“Where's Snowflake?” Hiccup asked.

“I will let him freeze you when – not if – he hears you use that nickname,” the disguised Guardian warned. “Grimtooth might have a sense of humor, but I'm not sure it extends that far.”

“Snow... flake... it's perfect!” This Viking defended his word choice.

“Frostbite is really, really painful,” Jack countered.

Hiccup glanced at his mate who did not crack a smile and slowly raised his eyebrows. The two regarded one another for a few moments. The Viking shook his head a little, scanned the area to see if anyone could hear, and leaned forward.

“You'd really let him freeze me?”

“Don't know if I could stop him. Don't forget the crook doesn't answer to me anymore,” Jack answered at a much lower volume.

Two months of being grounded and making regular appearances in the village eased the Berkians suspicions about Jack. It also helped that Isemaler made his presence known during the final cold snaps that pummeled Berk while Jack stood in plain view. Thus, the questions died off regarding the physical similarities between the young man found in the sea and the strange unique man of winter. Moreover, his burgeoning skills as a woodworker, a trade at which he proved adept, also won him favor and further distanced him from the growing legend of the Spirit of Winter Joy. Jack's ideas and designs, however, periodically astounded the people of Berk. Only four people knew where he got his advanced knowledge, and Jack quickly learned to scale back the number of ideas he present to the public at large. He adjusted his thinking for a people at a lower stage of technological development.

“And you keep telling me it's not alive!” Hiccup pounced on the statement.

“It's not... not really... not alive like you or Bucket or Toothless...

“Or you. I know something of the real you lies buried underneath all that skin... and that's some skin,” said Hiccup and then he whistled in a fairly lascivious manner.

Jack blushed.

“You're really handsome even if you do have dragon wings for ears.”

“Hey!” Jack protested, but he smirked and his cheeks remained rosy. Then his eyes narrowed and he said: “What about that mushroom you call a nose?”

“That was low,” Hiccup replied in mock hurt.

“But those eyes and that hair,” the Guardian spoke with admiration.

The young men stared at each other, and both felt their blood stir. Jack cocked one eyebrow, and Hiccup grinned. Anyone truly watching them would read and understand the expressions. Fortunately, no one stood in close enough proximity.

“Hiccup!” A voice called from above, a position that would not reveal their faces.

Two heads, both slightly annoyed at the interruption, looked upward.

“How long are you going to be out?” Rancid yelled down at him.

Wingnut's long wings beat smoothly in the air. Rancid, a tall Viking if ever one existed, sat astride the dragon with full, natural confidence. Since the days after the civil war and in the wake of the deaths of Hookfang and Stormfly and Tuffnut's injury, Rancid acted at Hiccup's first lieutenant of the dragon riders, much to the disgust of August. However, between the two, Rancid proved a capable and solid leader. He showed his skills once more by addressing Hiccup's impending absence in the light of the fact Hiccup never told him.

“Could be at least a week,” Hiccup shouted. “We're going after skrill.”

Even from a height of twenty feet, the shock on Rancid's broad face could not be missed.

“If Mo can do it, so can Jack!”

“If you say so,” the flying Viking drolly replied. “Any orders?”

“Just the usual... except keep an eye out for Mangler sails. Got word they're acting up again,” the chieftain-by-proxy yelled and felt slightly disconcerted he relied on information from Isemaler. “And send some of the younger riders out to collect blackrock 'cause Gobber says were getting really low.”

“Yes, sir,” Rancid crisply said the words and raised a hand in the new dragon rider salute.

“Wish they wouldn't do that,” Hiccup mumbled while waving off Rancid.

“They respect you, as they should,” Jack reminded him as Wingnut flew away. “They all do, even if you do skip out on the council meetings.”

Hiccup grabbed one of the last packs and positioned it on Toothless' back. He secured it with a rope. During the entire process he never made eye contact with Jack or said a word in response.

“Why do you avoid leadership now?” Jack inquired. “You're good at it.”

“People died when I wasn't good at it.”

“Hiccup, that wasn't your fault...”

“Oh, yeah?” Hiccup raised his head and grunted the words. “In case you haven't noticed, we're not too good at peace, Jack. When I left that day, I took the peace with me. You're a warrior... sort of, so you've got to be aware of what we are.”

“I am, and you're teaching them how to change... how to live differently,” Jack rounded on his mate. “Change is never easy, Hiccup, but it always takes one person who can see the way and to lead others to it. Why do you fight your role in this so much?”

Hiccup lifted his face. Jack almost stepped back.

“Sometimes... sometimes I feel like I don't know these people at all,” the young Viking man said in a flat but oddly dark and low voice. “All my life I tried to be part of them and I never quite fit in. It took my dad nearly wiping out the entire village and me losing a leg for him accept me. Even now... even after everything that's happened I still have to put up with stuff like this.”

Hiccup turned his head and scowled at the small group of people who watched him and Jack get ready for their trip.

“Hmm,” Jack hummed. “So I should get upset every time you stare at me and I know you're wondering if my hair is going to turn white any second?”

“What? No! That's not the same...”

“Isn't it?”

“I stare at you because I can't figure out how I got so lucky that you found me... stayed with me even when all logic said you should run away and keep away. I watch you because... ‘cause... ‘cause....”

“What?” Jack prompted him when the Viking started to sputter.

“'Cause... Jack, I get afraid you might... ever since Isemaler... you two have so much more in common now and...”

“Stop right there!” The Guardian ordered, clearly angry, folded his arms across his chest, and fixed Hiccup with a baleful glare. “I don't know where you get these ideas that I'm going to leave you. I fell in love with you: not with Berk, not with Toothless, and certainly not with Grimtooth Skovaks. It's you, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third; the scrawniest, smartest Viking that ever graced these shores. I fell in love with the man who came back to a people who didn't deserve his help even when they needed it most, and yet he gave it to them. I fell in love with you who risked his life and the life of his dragon when those spokelsedrakes were killing me. I fell in love with the guy who looked into the face of death and beings he can't even understand and put the welfare of this entire world ahead of himself.”

Hiccup's mouth fell open.

“Isemaler can't compete with that! Ever!”

“Jack...”

“No, Hiccup. You can't seem to get into that huge head of yours...”

“Hey!” Hiccup barked.

“Shut up,” Jack said and barely hid his smirk. “Hiccup, you helped me refine what it means to be a Guardian. I think The Man in the Moon saw that right away, and that's why he allowed me to stay. I know you're a true leader, and I know you can't see it in yourself. Maybe it's because you don't want to lead and you do it in spite of yourself that really impresses me. You do right and can't stop yourself.”

Hiccup lowered his head half in embarrassment and half in shame. He thought Jack misread him, yet time and again the Guardian repeated those sentiments. The Viking thought it made him sound like a hero, and he felt anything but heroic. He considered Jack the real hero. Hiccup believed he learned wisdom from Jack, a person who flawlessly disguised over three hundred years of life and made each day seem fresh and new. The Viking understood himself to be wildly in love with the Guardian, but he also needed Jack in ways he still could not explain. He inhaled deeply.

“If I'm a leader, I'm a better one because of you, Jack. I've learned so much from you... and I don't think that'll ever change,” he quietly confessed the widely known secret between them. 

“Good gods, are we sappy or what?” Jack sighed the words.

Hiccup glanced upward. Jack wore a sloppy smile on his face.

“We are, and you know it. How many times are we going to compete to see who's the better person between us? We take humility and modesty to immodest levels.”

The lips of the Viking trembled as he tried to suppress a laugh. Jack walked around Toothless, patting dragon on the head as he did, until he stood face to face with Hiccup. Being half a head taller than the Guardian meant Hiccup got to look down into those warm brown eyes. The sight of the orbs looking at him in a way he never saw Jack look at others made his neck heat up and his body shiver. It took less than a second for him to give in and lean further down to kiss the inviting mouth. Jack responded with gusto. Titters from those still watching the duo rippled across the distance.

“We're never going to get out of here if you do that again,” Jack lustily warned when they parted long after the snickering of others stopped.

“And that would be bad because...?” Hiccup rhetorically inquired.

“Because,” his mate chose to answer, “then you'd have to listen to me whine about not having a dragon for one more day.”

“Touché!”

“But there's always the campsite tonight.”

“Ah, the wisdom of age,” the Viking teased. Then he turned more serious and said: “Just so you know, you really do look really, really good as a mortal. Is this what you looked like back... then?”

“Yes, except older. I think there's this reflexive muscle memory in my, well, memories that... remembers my old mortal form. My subconscious knows what my body should look like,” Jack explained although it sounded awkward.

“That a lot of memory at work.”

“Except now my body is forming new memories and experiences it never had. This is all so... I don't know how to describe it,” Jack whispered.

“Memorable?” Hiccup supplied.

“Oh, gods, that was awful!”

The two then began chortle. It quickly devolved into full out laughter that quickly soared out of their control. Spasms of mirth shook them, and Toothless grunted and swung his tail around until it smacked both his rider and his rider's mate. Whatever the dragon intended did not stop the young men from collapsing against one another as the laughter redoubled. Toothless whipped his tail a second time.

“Ow! Toothless, all right, all right!” Hiccup bellowed in annoyance through his chortling. “Can't a guy have some fun?”

The dragon rumbled in response.

“I think he wants to get up in the air,” Jack guessed the obvious.

“And I thought you could be pushy,” the Viking remarked.

“When have I ever been pushy?” The Guardian grumbled and narrowed his eyes.

“Got you!”

Jack opened his mouth, and then closed in in a pert manner.

“Sometimes... just too easy,” Hiccup snorted.

“I wonder what Isemaler is doing today? He might like to head out for a break.”

“Don't even think about it. I'm sorry: you're not pushy. I don't know what I was thinking.”

Hiccup and Jack eyed one another, and then melted against each other as a new round laughter took control. It lasted all of thirty seconds before Toothless yodeled his irritation. Hiccup, still laughing, affectionately slapped the haunch of the dragon. Jack reached out and caressed a furled wing.

“We, ah, probably should get going if we don't want to waste the daylight,” the dragon rider stated while glancing at the winged beast. “Not sure he's above thrashing us like children if we wait too much longer.”

“That last one hurt,” Jack admitted.

They separated and set about tying the few remaining smaller parcels to Toothless. After checking the knots a second time and then examining the saddle and riding tack yet again, Hiccup and Jack mounted Toothless. The dual rider saddle, an invention of Hiccup and Fishlegs, held the Guardian snug behind the lead rider without constricting. In unison the two secured the flying straps to the riding belts. After a couple of quick tugs to make test the latches, all seemed ready.

“Okay, bud, up!” Hiccup gave the command.

Hiccup could not see Jack's face, but he felt the Guardian's hands grip fiercely at his sides when Toothless assumed launch position, and then vaulted skyward. The powerful snap and thrust of the meaty back legs sent them far enough into the air so the simultaneously unfurling wings could be set up for the all-important down stroke. When it came, the riders felt themselves pressed hard into their seats. With that, the trio soared aloft.

Habit borne of training took over. Hiccup directed Toothless to fly a large circle over the village center of Berk. While he scanned the scene below, he also unconsciously noted every creak and shift of the saddle and packs. None exhibited any sign of failure. His conscious mind took note of the ordered progress of life down below. Carts and people moved between buildings and over the roads between the mounds of snow that would begin to melt as the weather warmed. Around Berk the ocean appeared a mottled blue and gray from the reflected sky and clouds. Frothy white caps dotted the surface from the errant winds that blew. Aside from the small fleet of fishing ships he knew to be heading out, no other sails appeared on any of the horizons. Berk, for all intents and purposes despite some of the lingering tensions of the events seven months before, looked peaceful and at peace.

“Serene... beautiful, isn't it?” Jack commented.

“Reading my mind, ghost boy?” Hiccup teased, using Gobber's nickname he knew Jack detested.

“Not hard to figure out what's going on in the boulder-sized head of yours right now.”

They shared another laugh as Toothless completed one final loop. Using his knees and angling his weight, Hiccup directed the dragon to gain more altitude. Berk fell away below, becoming a white patch with odd spots on it as the settlement and trees became indistinct. The air thinned a bit, and Hiccup adjusted his breathing so he took deeper breaths. Again habit bred from experience caused it to happen. Somewhere along the line, he remembered Jack may not do the same.

“Don't forget to take in more air the higher we go,” he shouted as the wind whipped around them. “Don't need you passing out on me.”

“Got it!”

Then he felt Jack hug his mid-section. It conveyed neither concern nor panic, but rather a sense of intimacy. In some ways Hiccup knew he would miss Jack riding with him once they secured a dragon for the Guardian. He sighed and aimed Toothless toward the southeast and the one island where the Dragon's Eye indicated the skrill tended to congregate when not lancing through the skies on lightning bolts. It would be a while before they reached the jagged, pocked peaks. Thus, Hiccup intended to enjoy Jack's hold on him as much as possible.

“How long ago was that?” Hiccup whispered into his pillow.

Hiccup lowered the pillow and sat up in his cell as his mind slowly lost focus on the last, peaceful flight he and his mate took together. In its place came worries about what Jack and the Guardians would do now that that Santa got captured. The Viking knew if Jack got forced to choose, he would chose to save Santa Claus first because of the role the man played on Earth. It proved a mentally bitter pill to swallow, but the situation required practical thinking. Matters of the heart seldom entered that realm.

“I wonder if these people understand who they captured or if they even believe him?” The Viking asked aloud since no one could decipher his language.

“Fat man in trouble now,” the fear monster hissed, and it sounded too close for comfort.

Hiccup started to flinch, but steadied himself before he said: “Knew you'd be here. Couldn't resist, huh? Did you have something to do with this?”

“Guardians not so clever, not so powerful now.”

“You must fear Santa more than Jack, then,” Hiccup surmised, and received a growl as a reward. “You know he'll save Santa first, right? And then what will you do?”

“Pulhu does as Pulhu does. Guardians cannot stop what Pulhu does,” the creature nearly sang the words.

“You realize if they kill him The Man in the Moon will appoint a new Guardian.”

It came out as statement rather than a question.

“Guardians lose so much when one gets lost. Years it takes, and Pulhu grows stronger. Guardians cannot win.”

Hiccup slowly twisted his head around until he spotted the dull orange twin orbs. Despite the sparseness of the statements, the Viking's agile mind discerned quite a bit of information. From the sound of it, this being waged a constant state of battle with the Guardians. Hiccup wondered how many died as a result, and his mind turned instantly to Jack. Would his beloved also succumb to the machinations of Pulhu, he pondered. The idea unnerved him.

“What worries little flying boy, hmm? Does little flyer know flying black lizard is gone? Where to?” Pulhu muttered with glee.

“Gone?” Hiccup barely mouthed the word.

“Did humans finally kill lizard and cut it up to see what's inside?”

Before panic set in, Hiccup considered what Jack told him the day before. Then he thought over what the nasty being just said, and he gleaned new data. Pulhu did not seem to know exactly where Toothless went. Given that Jack promised to free Toothless, it seemed likely he made good on the promise without Pulhu realizing what happened. Something warm began to grow in his stomach at the thought Toothless no longer sat captive, caged, and chained in the cell. An involuntary smiled began to form.

“Pah, what is little flyer happy about?” Pulhu grumbled the question.

“Either Toothless is free or dead, and either way I don't have to worry about him anymore,” Hiccup replied, masking what he really thought.

Suddenly the dual blobs of faintly glowing light hovered near his face. He felt something scratch down his right cheek, and an awful sensation swept through him. Fear that he could be wrong began to bubble in Hiccup's brain. He shook his head. The dark thoughts tried to intrude. In retaliation, the Viking thought about the number of times Jack made a promise and more than kept his word. He latched onto the love he felt for the Guardian regardless of the form he took. The darkness blooming in his mind began to dissipate.

“Little flying boy wants cold boy,” Pulhu ground out the words. “Where is cold boy? Why is cold boy free and little flyer trapped? Where is flying black lizard?”

“Jack loves me, you... whatever you are, and I love him,” Hiccup recited the words with complete conviction. “Toothless loves him, too, so everything you say is so... meaningless.”

“And when they kill you?”

The question rang in his ear as hot breath coursed along the side of his face, but the effect proved unpleasant rather than frightening. In that moment Hiccup realized he could very well die, but it no longer scared him. Jack freed Toothless and would make certain the dragon returned home. No one or nothing could dissuade Hiccup from that belief. Thus, if death came for him – and he could imagine what death would look like – at least those he cared about most would be safe.

“Then I die,” Hiccup whispered as he glanced down at his hideous orange clothing. “I've seen death, heard it speak, so... I know what's coming.”

“And little flying boy not afraid of death?” Pulhu inquired, but the voice lacked the vicious elation normally associated with such questions.

“I think it's the dying part that scares me most, but... not really death. I've seen people die: my father... Jack once, and a bunch of my people during that stupid, stupid war. The dragons used to come to steal our food, and I saw them die... and more of my people, so...” and Hiccup paused for a moment while a revelation took hold. “We all die sooner or later. I guess it's something we shouldn't be afraid of.”

“Snahhh!” The creature howled and turned away from him.

Hiccup followed the eyes as they flew across the room.

“That's what you really feed on, isn't it: ignorance and stupidity?” He threw the question like a spear at the monster. “And that's what kills fear: acceptance and understanding.”

A strangled, keening sound emerged around him.

“That's why you go after children. They don't have the experience to... to... beat back the fear and make sense of it. That's why you hate the Guardians: they give children something else to believe in besides the fear. Every time they win, you die a little.”

The face of Pulhu, grotesquely distorted and seemingly pulsing with anger appeared right in front of Hiccup. The Viking leaned backward, but not from fear. The smell coming from the creature, like a mix of vegetation and small animals left rotting in too hot of a cave for too many years, coursed around him. Fresh air immediately rose to the top of the list of things he wanted most at the moment.

“Flying boy will die, and Pulhu will be there to taste the fear,” the monster promised.

“Maybe, but I won't be afraid of you. These people here are a lot scarier than you'll ever be. It won't be your fear: it'll belong to them,” answered the Viking as he pressed his head against the wall to get away from the putrid odor.

Pulhu let out with a gargling yell, and then abruptly vanished. The cell felt instantly empty. Hiccup looked around. Nothing physically changed, yet he felt different. The idea his captors would torture and kill him no longer weighed down on his mind. Pulhu, despite the vileness of the being, accidentally helped. Pulhu gave Hiccup a sense of hope in the knowledge Jack managed to free the dragon. None of the creature's words made sense in any other context. Thus and without realizing it, Pulhu gave Hiccup the tools necessary to fight back. For the first time since arriving on what he considered a miserable world, Hiccup felt strangely good.


	13. Chapter 13

Under a moon a more than half-way to full, the world experienced the force of the Guardians on a mission. The Sandman became akin to glowing, golden tornado as he spun from time zone to time zone chasing the setting sun. People fell into deep slumbers and experienced exquisitely happy dreams throughout the night. Children smiled in their sleep through the darkest hours. They slept so fittingly their subconscious minds barely perceived the arrival of the faeries come to collect those teeth left under pillows. Unlike most times, the vast swarm of tiny bird-like minions delivered the payout for the teeth with not just money or small tokens, but also with a rare kiss to the forehead. Hence, sleep became a bulwark against troubling thoughts.

Wherever appropriate, the world saw a blossoming of spring unlike any in recent memory. Grass sparkled with dew, the buds of new flowers and leaves proudly stood upright, and scent of the earth renewing itself filled the air. In those places where winter held sway, new snow dappled roofs, ferns of amazing beauty grew on panes of glass, and the land gleamed as if sprinkled with tiny diamonds. Everywhere children went in the cold climes, a sense of play and the ridiculous took root, and they gave in with complete abandon. Thus, the natural world seemed to embrace of all of humanity and grant it peace.

In a cave deep in the Ural Mountains where no one lived, a lone spectral figure let loose with a gnashing of teeth and a piteous wailing. The very stuff of its life became scarce and hard to find. Few roused when it passed by knocking on walls, creaking floors, or scratching bedposts. Those who did wake fell back into fitful slumber unaffected by its presence. Only the truly evil and wretched of humankind remained to feed Creak, and what it got proved unsatisfying since the fears tended to be old, worn, and nearly without substance. It knew that if Nicholas Saint North joined in the fray, even those meager fears might go missing. It sat in its cave hugging its thin sides with twig like limbs and cried against the want in its empty body.

Four exhausted yet oddly refreshed Guardians arrived at the sanctuary provided them by their missing comrade. They met in the great planning room while the yeti, who continued to fret over their missing patron, saw to their needs. The tired Guardians assembled: the Sandman floating half-asleep on a cloud of dream sand, the Tooth Fairy bobbed in the air as her weary wings beat to keep her aloft, the Easter Bunny leaned against a wall stretching and yawing, and Jack Frost sat atop his upright crook with skin a pale bluish-white and drooping eyes. He smiled.

“We... outdid ourselves,” he commended his colleagues.

“Aye,” the Pooka groggily agreed. “Even the ground seemed happy.”

A golden smiley face hovered above Sandy’s nodding head.

“It’ll take weeks to properly catalog all those new teeth, and the faeries... oh, so pleased with themselves as they should be,” Toothania warbled in delight.

“Gotta be honest: this felt right. Been a long time since I went out in the field like that without it being Easter,” Bunny remarked.

“You need to get out more, then!” The Tooth Fairy playfully scolded him. “Oh, this felt sooooo good!”

“But probably not for Creak,” Jack happily, if nastily, quipped.

“Fear was in short supply tonight, mate!”

Sandy let out with a giddy little snore as his head lolled to one side.

“So, what’s next?” Bunny inquired while Toothania stopped the sleeping Sandman from bumping into a wall and two yeti.

“Tonight we free Hiccup and Nick,” Jack said and steel edged his voice. “This time I don’t care if Creak is there or not or if he sets off every alarm in Europe: neither one is spending another day there!”

“And the guards?” Toothania asked.

“They’ll get a cold reception from me!”

“Someone’s got a fire in his belly... so to speak,” Bunny said while eyeing Jack. “Care to explain?”

Jack grinned a terrible grin and said: “I’m going to seal the entire base under a foot of the hardest ice I can whip up, send the winds into a frenzy, and then do the same on the inside. I’ll build a bunker around Hiccup and Nick, and then get them out.”

“Alone?” The Tooth Fairy continued to prod with questions.

“Yes,” he replied.

“Not a good plan...”

Jack held up a hand and said: “I’m not planning it this time. I never plan stuff and it always seems to work out most of the time. Improv works best for me. I’ll make it up as I go along.”

“But alone?”

The Spirit of Fun heard the doubt in the Spirit of Memory's query. They locked eyes for a second while the Spirit of Hope watched and the Spirit of Dreams took a nap. Tension seemed to mount.

“Tooth, it’s not personal, but it’s personal.”

Both Bunny and Toothania gaped at him.

“Look, if this was an air fight, I’d get out of your way in a heartbeat, Toothania. I can’t match your speed or dexterity,” Jack told her and then shifted his gaze to the Pooka. “Bunny, I know you can carry out a guerilla war better than anyone. Between your tunnels and those boomerangs, you’re one of the most formidable people I know. Sandy can fight in realms I don’t think any of us can conceive...”

As one, they turned to view the sleeping member of their party. Several of the yeti snickered. The Sandman bobbed to and fro on his small cloud.

“But when it comes to invisibly sneaking in and out, that’s where I excel. Not only that, I can build defenses with ice that can hold almost anyone at bay for a while... at least long enough to let me disappear with what I’m after.”

By the time he ended, all heads save the sleeping one nodded in agreement. Jack, from his perch atop his crook, felt mild shock when no one launched into an immediate argument. They appeared to wait for him to continue.

“Besides, other than Sandy, I don’t have to fear bullets,” the elemental young man added.

“Excellent point,” Bunny concurred. “And you did get the dragon out like you said you could. That was a sight, Jack, let me tell you.”

“And I can do the same with Nick and Hiccup. I learned a few things on Halla when all I had to rely on was myself.”

“You’re a fast... learner, Jack Frost,” Phil the yeti said from the side in his native tongue.

Two sets of eyes looked to him for a translation.

“He said I can be bright when I need to be,” Jack paraphrased and saw the yeti smirk.

“So you’re just going to go in and figure it out as you go along?” Toothania continued to question through the Pooka’s chortling.

Jack shrugged and replied: “I’ve got a few ideas, but I don’t want to box in my thinking. I need to be flexible, especially if Creak shows up.”

“And what we did tonight does what?” Bunny took his turn at asking questions.

The Spirit of Fun looked at those assembled in the planning room, and he felt a strange sense of wonder. Nowhere else on Earth, or Halla for that matter, could claim such a unique variety of beings. Nick’s absence became pronounced in Jack’s mind, and his resolve solidified even more.

“It proves to Creak we can fight him and win,” Jack told them after a few moments. “Isn’t that what this is all about: fighting fear? I mean, look at the world in general and what it’s doing. Our job is to help children hold back the fear so they can see a better future for themselves.”

Many heads nodded.

“Bunny, aren’t you all about hope?”

“Aye, mate, that I am,” the enormous rabbit responded.

“And, Toothania, why do you protect the memories of childhood so fiercely?” He queried his colleague.

“Because that’s when anything was possible and the world was magical,” she revealed.

“And Nick told me he sees through the eyes of children and all the wonder around us,” Jack answered for his mentor, “and I keep fun alive whether it’s in a snowball fight or watching ice form spectacular patterns.”

Then they all looked at Sandy who snoozed happily while slowly drifting from side to side.

“And dreams... all of our dreams,” Jack whispered, and then scanned the room. “To adults we’re imaginary, but look at how many of them remember us... fondly remember us. We become the idea that needs protecting and they pass it down from generation to generation.”

“Wise Sir Terry would be proud of you.” Toothania bubbled. “And it only took you three hundred years and getting trapped on another world to figure it out!”

Jack’s mouth flopped open. Bunny snorted at the same time as the yeti. The sparkling jewel of a faerie grinned at him. Her wings fluttered and hummed like iridescent magic. He felt something growing in the room, and then it hit him. Jack threw his head back and began to laugh. The damn burst and the combined powers of the Guardians began to flow around them as the others joined in. Even though he continued to sleep, the Sandman started to glow in reaction. Regardless that he lacked any evidence to prove it, Jack decided to believe Nicholas Saint North also felt what took shape in his wondrous castle. The laughter became their power causing darkness and fear to flee before it. It rang out into the hallways, and a swarm of elves gathered at the door, or rather they pushed and shoved each other as they sought to witness the event.

“Crikes, kid, I think we needed that,” Bunny half-hiccuped the words as his laughter continued to roll out.

“Yeah,” Toothania sighed.

“You know what, there is something you can do to help free Hiccup and Nick,” Jack managed to say even though his chuckling persisted. “Do what we did tonight, and Creak will be too busy to worry about what I’m doing... ‘til it’s too late!”

“Now you’re thinking, Jack,” Phil rumbled.

“He says I’m finally using my brain,” the Spirit of Fun told the other awake Guardians.

“I did not!” The yeti protested.

Jack turned, a smile stretching his face wide, and said: “Well, you should’ve. Hurph!”

The other yeti in the room started laughing again while the Guardians began to settle.

“Let Sandy know what the plan is, and get some rest. We’ve got a big night ahead of us,” he informed his compatriots.

“What are you going to do?” Toothania inquired.

“I need to go thank a dragon for being my friend.”

Jack did just that. He went to the room where they kept Toothless, pushed the bar far to one side, and threw open the doors. The dragon sprang up and crouched low as Jack walked in.

“How are you feeling, pal? Want to stretch for a little bit?” He asked his winged friend.

Toothless’ head popped up, and then he trotted forward.

“You’re done being caged here, Toothless, but please don’t eat elves or set the yeti on fire.”

Toothless grunted and playfully butted Jack with his head.

“But you can make Bunny as nervous as you want,” the Spirit of Fun goaded the dragon while scratching the scaly jaw. “And tonight I’m going to bring Hiccup here.”

At the sound of his rider’s name, the dragon came to attention. The large yellow-green eyes regarded the Guardian. Jack nodded. Toothless tilted his head to one side.

“But we’ve got another issue to deal with,” Jack said as he looked over Toothless and realized the dragon needed some vital equipment. “We need you to be flight ready when Hiccup comes back.”

Toothless’ eyes grew bigger as though he knew what Jack intended. While the dragon stared, Jack considered their options. Without Hiccup around to fabricate the pieces for the missing tail fin, and Jack knew he did not have the required skills, he thought about how to overcome the deficit. It only took seconds for the solution, a very obvious one, to pop into his head. The elemental Guardian grinned at the dragon.

“Come on, Toothless, follow me. We’re going to see some friends about your tail,” he said and began to walk away.

After progressing several yards, Jack paused and turned around. Toothless remained in the room. The Guardian thought he saw uncertainty on the jet face.

“Seriously, pal, you’re free. Nick’s home should never be used as a prison. It’s a... sanctuary of sorts, I guess. At least it is for me and yeti and the elves... and the other Guardians when they’re not at their own homes,” he explained to the dragon.

Toothless continued to appear apprehensive. Jack waved an arm in the direction he intended to travel and began walking again. He heard the first few tentative clicks of claw on stone.

“I’m not going to wait all day, and, boy, do I have a surprise for the yeti!”

The pale, seemingly young, elemental man and the dragon from another world walked through the wide hallways of the North Pole fortress. Elves scattered when they saw the animal. Yeti pressed themselves against the sides of the walls. Word spread about the ruckus and the smoke issuing from Toothless’ chamber. Now the beast walked freely next to a Guardian. As they traversed, Jack noticed the wary expression on Toothless and how the dragon sidled closer to him. Thus, he stopped when they reached the edge of broad circular stairs at the hub of the castle.

“Everyone,” he called out in a loud voice and heard it echo through the recesses. “This is Toothless. He’s a dragon. He’s smart, but he’s also nervous and worried since his rider isn’t here. Toothless trusts me, and I trust him. I also trust all of you, so just relax.”

Eyes both small and large filled with caution studied him. Jack turned in a small circle so he could appraise the situation. Since he knew Toothless could not take to the air, it removed the possibility he would use his incredible speed and formidable firepower in an aerial assault. What Jack really wanted, however, came in the form of peaceful coexistence.

“Come on, Toothless, we need to go see some artists, and they’re some kids who might be interested in you,” the Guardian told the dragon in a steady, sure tone.

Toothless lifted his head and let out with a puzzled sound.

“Just relax. No one here is going to harm you. Actually, they’ve heard a lot about you and now you get to impress them with how smart you really are,” he said as he reached out and caressed the blocky head.

The square jaw leaned into his hand. Following half a minute of reassurance, Jack continued along his path with the dragon sticking close to his side. He walked up two levels until he reached a familiar hallway. At every junction, elf and yeti alike watched their progress. A sort of stunned silence fell over the castle. Never before did it witness a supposed mythical creature freely walking about. Jack aimed for the large door that led to the yeti section. As he approached, he saw the aghast expression on Urantoo’s face. The guard froze in place.

“Guardian,” the guard muttered in yeti, “what are you doing?”

“Urantoo, I need Goorah and Phyllis to knock together a new tail section for Toothless,” Jack said in a causal and friendly manner, and in very good yetish. He pointed out the missing fin at the end of the tail. “See?”

“Friend Jack, this... urph... is highly... did you hear that thing...”

“Toothless, Urantoo, his name is Toothless, and he isn’t a thing. Toothless is Hiccup’s dragon and, well, he’s my buddy. Right, pal?”

Jack reached down and scratched behind thick prongs of the spiked head crown. The yeti watched with a clearly suspicious gaze. Jack thought for a moment while he continued to lend comfort to the dragon.

“You’re going to think this is... mulpha... crazy...”

“Mulpha is right,” Urantoo quickly agreed.

“But,” Jack optimistically continued, “just hold out your arm with hand up and slowly... iphanip...?

“Extend?” The yeti guard guessed.

“Yes, extend it toward Toothless. This is how you show trust to a dragon. If he believes you’re really extending trust, he’ll touch his nose to your palm.”

“And if he doesn’t.”

“He’ll just growl.”

“Jack Frost...” Urantoo spoke the name with doubt and paused.

Jack slowly shook his head and rejoined: “Here I thought yeti were brave...”

Urantoo instantly looked offended. He narrowed his eyes. With that, he lifted an arm. Jack felt Toothless tense under his hand. The yeti guard did as instructed, raised a hand and presented it palm forward to the dragon.

“Now close your eyes and wait,” Jack completed the instruction.

“If he bites...”

“He won’t,” the Guardian cut off the complaint.

Urantoo glared at Jack, but then closed his eyes since his honor got challenged. Toothless looked up at Jack. Jack smiled and nodded, and turned to face the waiting yeti. Even more slowly Toothless took a step forward, and then another before stretching out his neck. He sniffed at the fur-covered hand. The dragon tilted his head toward Jack. The Guardian bobbed his head once. Toothless faced the Urantoo, closed his eyes, sniffed again, and pressed his nose into the hand of the yeti. Urantoo’s eyes popped open.

“He’s... soft,” the guard quietly said the words in what amounted to complete surprise. His long fingers curled gently along the curve of the nose.

Toothless opened his eyes, and they locked for brief moment with the yeti. Urantoo grinned a dopey smile. The dragon lightly exhaled and leaned back. The two distinct beings regarded one another for another second.

“Amazing,” Urantoo whispered.

“I know. I think it each time I see him,” Jack confessed his pure wonder about the dragon. “And he needs the help of the yeti to get back home with his rider.”

The gray, tawny, and white face of the guard peered at Jack. Although he did not directly know, Jack suspected the yeti arrived at the North Pole as refugees from their native land. The snowfalls he provided seemed to remind them of a place far away, at least for the adults, and the yeti children instinctively rejoiced in the cold and snow he provided. Thus, Jack chose his last statement with care.

“Come,” Urantoo said, turned to the door, and said a long yeti phrase.

The door decorated with ornate metalwork silently swung open, revealing the entrance to the yeti compound. Urantoo led the way, followed by the Guardian and then dragon. Toothless crouched low to the ground while moving forward, a sure sign of his unease. They passed through the short tunnel, and then stared into the wide expanse of the yeti sanctuary. Large mounds of snow from Jack’s previous visits still lay piled all over the central cavern. Several of the children squealed with delight when they saw the Spirit of Fun. The excitement proved short-lived when they spied the dragon. Urantoo then spun on a padded heel.

“This is going to be interesting,” the yeti guard mumbled, but it did not offer real encouragement.

“Anything is possible, Urantoo. Didn’t I learn your language?” The Guardian countered.

“With your innate magical ability, yes, but this...”

Jack gave into the intentional pause and said: “Is no different. Trust, Urantoo: this is all about trust.”

“If you insist,” the guard said and did not wait for a reply as he began to walk down the hall to the entrance.

The visitors faced the now silent throng of the yeti. Jack hoped he garnered enough good will with the people in order to make the plan work. His specialty, he decided, would be needed. Thus, Jack raised his crook, pointed it at the ice cap over the cavern and spoke a very specific form of a yeti word.

“Snow!” He called out, and snow it did

Dragon and yeti alike watched as cold, white flakes began to fall from the roof. The amount quickly increased as Jack poured more energy in the effort, which for him proved no effort at all. Yeti children began to dance around as they immediately forgot about the dragon and watched the wonder over their heads.

“Stay here, pal... unless you want to have some fun,” Jack taunted the dragon and glided through the air to the children awaiting him.

Snow fell in abundance, and soon a half inch of new powder covered everything. Even the adults seemed eager to frolic in the accumulation. Within five minutes, Jack found himself at the center of a swarm of children as they yelled out what they wanted him to do. He complied with most requests, and then they began to play in earnest. Periodically Jack glanced over at the dragon who watched with what could only be called astonishment. He knew Toothless loved to play in the snow and, when allowed, to play with children and terrible terrors at the same time. Thus, the Guardian put on a real show of leading the yeti children in games as he continued to make the flurry over their heads.

Laughter echoed through the chamber. For ten minutes Toothless sat and watched. Bit by bit Jack saw how the winged creature began to twitch, muscles involuntarily ticking to the desires in the ebony head. The Guardian and the children ran and romped through the snow. Then, thinking it the coup de grace, Jack started a game of hide-and-seek by diving into a bank of powder. The children yelled with joy and followed suit. As per the unspoken rule the last child uncovered went in search of the others. Jack lay ensconced in the bank, but not for long.

“What the...?” He barked as he got forcibly dragged into the light.

Above him Toothless’ eager face looked down. The entire body of the dragon jiggled back and forth in excitement. Several of the yeti watched in awe as Jack reached up and stroked the neck of the dragon. He smiled. Toothless mimicked it.

“Just be gentle. They’re big, I’ll give you that, but they are children,” Jack said and hoped the dragon could glean something from his tone. “Now, go hide!”

Toothless jumped into the air, cocked his wings, and the sailed into an incredibly large snow pile. His black body disappeared from view as though magicked away. The heads of the yeti children jerked back and forth from where the dragon lay hid to the Guardian.

“Don’t look at me. Go find him, but be gentle: he’s just a dragon after all,” Jack informed them in a soft voice. “But he does love to play hide-and-seek.”

Jack counted to four in his head, a number favored by the yeti, before the youngest of the lot gave into the temptation. They ran laughing toward the spot where Toothless sank into the snow. In that moment, Jack felt two worlds draw closer together. The smile on his face carried an emotion few could decipher, but he wore with complete pride. Then, when the last of the children went in search of Toothless, he darted after them to join into the fray.

Many hours later a tired but happy dragon plodded along next to the elemental man. The effect of the interaction with the yeti children exceeded Jack’s expectations: Toothless seemed to gleam with renewed life. He hoped the winged creature forgot for a moment the cruel captivity he experienced. Moreover, Jack now hoped the dragon would eat and sleep and be ready for his rider’s return. An equally important result also sat attached to the body and tail Toothless. A new saddled, riding tack, and, especially, a finely crafted replacement fin adorned his midnight hide. The yeti, Jack thought, outdid themselves when he explained what he needed and how it should work. Thus, while the dragon played and romped with their children, several of the adults went to work.

As they neared the room currently housing the Toothless, Jack found it difficult to express in real terms the enormous sense of gratitude and indebtedness he felt toward the yeti. In his mind, the brilliant people would never again want for cold or snow as long as he lived. A glance at the new tail section further affirmed his allegiance to the yeti. Instead of cloth or leather, sheets of stainless steel hammered very thin gleamed and slid effortlessly over one another. Latched clamps, lined with softened leather, held the device securely but comfortably on the tail trunk. A wholly unique jointed armature ran the length of the tail, anchored with clamps at every third dorsal ridge plate, and terminated at the stirrup on the left side. A clever locking device hung down from the hobble strap, and a new peg leg rested in Jack’s hand. He marveled at how the saddle resembled a near perfect copy of the one he and Hiccup built.

“Like the new gizmo, buddy?” He asked the dragon.

Toothless turned a weary but happy face to him, and then lifted his tail so he, too, could examined it. The metal plates all but glowed as the control linkages jingled lightly. The dragon swung his tail to and fro as if to test the device. It stayed firmly in place and Toothless showed no signs of discomfort. The joyful display halted when they neared the room given over to the dragon’s use.

“Un-uh. It’s staying open, Toothless. No more cages for you!” Jack firmly stated.

He then aimed the crook at the stone bar lying to side and leveled a powerful blast of intense cold at it. The stone contracted too rapidly in reaction and cracked into several pieces. The dragon looked from it to the elemental Guardian. He rumbled with satisfaction.

“You’re a guest here as much as anyone else. The only rule is to be kind and gentle. Do that, and everything will work out. Deal?”

Jack received a purposeful snort from the dragon. He heard Hiccup use the word so many times with Toothless he knew the dragon would respond. The two walked into the room together. True to the nature of the castle, the trough sat filled with fresh water. However, the dragon found greater interest in the pile of fish sitting next to it. Since Jack did not detect any strong odor, he realized the catch to be as fresh as the water. Toothless glanced at him.

“Don’t wait for me. Have at it!”

The Guardian still found it a bit unsettling as the Toothless’ jaws clamped down on a huge sturgeon and it crunched. He decided to let the dragon enjoy his meal and headed for his room just down the hall. The sound of eating stopped.

“I’ll leave my door open if you get lonely,” Jack said with turning around. “It’s just down this way.”

The dragon did not commence eating again until Jacked went to his door, pulled and left it open, and stepped inside. Although he technically did not need sleep, the elemental young man wanted to feel rested for the planned activities of the night. He found his bed and flopped face down on it. After staring at the wall on the other side of the room, the Guardian frowned.

“Those people are mean and dangerous... and probably pretty evil to do what they do. I don’t care what their reasons are; they shouldn’t treat anyone like that. If they fight back, I’m not going to hold back. Is that a problem for you?” He whispered and his words were intended for a single presence.

Jack waited and received no response in any form, although he suspected he would not receive one in any case. However, the notion he might get a feeling of disapproval danced through his mind. Such a feeling never arrived. The Guardian took it as tacit permission to carry out his half-formed plan. He closed his eyes safe in the knowledge he performed his due diligence. Jack quickly fell asleep.

“Santa Claus,” Hiccup repeated for the hundredth time.

“Santa Claus?” The blonde-haired woman said in a snarl.

It proved to be two of the five words they could say to one another, and the other three happened to be his name, his dragon’s name, and the word for fish. However, niceties long since fell away after the failed attempt to free him. The day started out as usual with a terrible porridge and a glass of something that resembled but fell far short of milk. Then again, Hiccup normally drank yak’s milk when he did. After that, the black-clad guards checked on him at regular and short intervals. It seemed they feared another attempt to free him might take place. Through that the Viking figured out the prison still stood on high alert. Time and again he wondered, and worry quickly took its place, about Jack’s friend. Hence, when they came with manacles and the dark hood, it did not surprise Hiccup.

“Er sagt immer, es ist Weihnachtsmann,” the woman said to other interrogator, the man with dark skin and short, dark curly hair.

“Der Mann sagt immer, er Weihnachtsmann ist, und ich kann nicht herausfinden, wer verrückter zwischen ihnen ist,” the man replied.

“Aber wir nie gesagt, der Name, und dieser Hitch-oop wusste es schon. Etwas ist nicht richtig.”

The man narrowed his eyes while she spoke. Then the two both fixed Hiccup with a hard stare. Hiccup met it and did not flinch. He found their interest in Santa Claus highly disturbing, and they seemed to think he knew more. However, lack of a common tongue remained a barrier. Simply knowing five names did not advance either cause. The Viking felt tired after hours and hours of repeated grilling in various languages he did not understand. It began to sap his newly found sense of hope. The amount of anger they showed, and Hiccup likened it to the levels displayed by Alvin or Dagur when they got defeated, seemed persistent. They also directed it squarely at him.

“Does it help if I tell you I don’t know anything about how these powers... what Jack calls magic, work? Huh?” Hiccup mumbled.

“Hvordan vet du... julenissen?” She asked in apparent frustration.

The Viking nodded to the picture of the man and said: “Yes, Santa Claus. That’s him.”

The dark skinned man rolled his eyes while the woman slapped the tabletop. Hiccup started at that. Little by little he sensed their patience wore thin and likely neared the end. Given their mood, he would a bet a ship full of fish and all the sheep on Berk that Toothless no longer resided in the prison. Coupled with the sudden and inexplicable appearance of Santa Claus, their anger became understandable if one looked at it from their perspective. Hiccup could not imagine what would happen when their patience entirely evaporated, although the foul creature that pestered him suggested a few reasonable if horrible possibilities. Hiccup did not need to be told his time to live probably could be measured in days if not hours. 

“Warum beharren Sie in diesem?” The man appeared to ask, but to whom did not seem clear to Hiccup. “Es ist klar, dass er keine Sprache spricht wir wissen, und wir haben elf zwischen den beiden von uns versucht.”

“Sie glauben immer noch, er ist ein außerirdischer?” She blurted an angry response.

“Du sicher wie die Hölle habe nicht eine vernünftige Erklärung angeboten!”

“Ich brauche etwas besser, als er von Mars ist!”

Hiccup sat back and watched the short exchange. He could see two people at odds with one another on what to do. Images of Astrid played through his mind and the number of times they disagreed over a plan of action. The memory sparked an idea in his head, and one he tried on adversaries in the past. The Viking leaned forward, but toward the man who seemed to discount him.

“Listen, she doesn't want to admit it's Santa Claus,” he said and let his green eyes bore into the deep-set, dark brown ones. “I don't know much more beyond that, but I do know he's got some powerful friends who are going to come and fetch him. From what I've heard, you don't want to make then angry.”

“Wunderbar! Jetzt spricht er zu Ihnen! Nach all der Arbeit habe ich in sein Vertrauen bekommen!” The square-faced, blonde-headed woman exploded.

“Ich bin ziemlich sicher dass er uns gesagt, das hat mit dem Weihnachtsmann zu tun” the man replied, but sounded more curious than resentful at his colleague. “Es ist, als wenn er nicht versteht, Weihnachtsmann ist ein Mythos.”

The woman growled deep in the back of her throat, and stood up. Hiccup watched. She glared at him. He, knowing the effect it would produce, shrugged. The hard set of her face turned to granite in response. Her gray eyes seemed fiery.

“Ich bin sagen, es ist Zeit für Lindros und sein Team zu gehen morgen zu arbeiten. Dieser Mann wird mit ihm reden oder darunter leiden, wenn er es nicht tut!” She said through gritted teeth. “Und sobald wir das Monster finden, werden wir sie in Stücke schneiden.”

“Das ist was dir bekommen für nicht zuerst zu mir hören...” the man began to say but stopped when her nasty expression focused on him.

She turned and marched to the door. The man stood, regarded the Viking for a moment, and followed her lead. As soon as they cleared the room, the heavily armored guards entered with their strange but unnerving weapons pointed at him. They roughly secured Hiccup and covered his head. To Hiccup’s surprise, they took the direct route to his holding cell. As he suspected all along, not more than fifty feet lay between the two rooms. The guards literally threw him into his cell when they arrived. Hiccup lay on the floor as they pulled off his hood and undid the manacles. 

For several moments the two stood over him. Hiccup got the impression they looked on him with unpleasant grins hidden beneath their masks with weird, darkened glass over the eyes. It conveyed the notion his circumstances altered. Although never friendly in any measure, Hiccup knew without being told to expect the worst. He sat up and returned the gaze.

“I feel sorry for you,” he quietly told them. “Anyone who's this afraid of someone like me is already doomed. I don't know what you're protecting, but it doesn't seem worth it if this is what it takes.”

The guards clearly did not understand a word he said. Neither one spoke in response, and they left in silence. Hiccup pulled himself off the floor and sat on the stone bench. He glanced around. If any time presented a perfect opportunity for the terrible creature to make an appearance, this seemed to be it. However, and to his surprise, the pale orange ovoids never materialized. In an even more bizarre turn of events, the absence of hideous thing did not bring him a sense of comfort. The Viking felt as though the being, and he concluded it must somehow be connected to Jack's form of the world, would take delight in the gnawing, nagging fear growing in his stomach. It brought to mind a bit of something Jack told him what seemed like ages ago.

“Did I ever tell you Halla seems... quiet to me?” The disguised Guardian said as they sat on an outcrop of rock surrounded by snow on a tiny island overlooking the roiling expanse of the sea.

“No, why? I mean, why is it quiet to you?” Hiccup replied as he stared at icebergs bobbing in the water.

Six weeks earlier Jack got granted his leave to live a mortal life on Halla, but he only lived a partial mortal life. His duties as Isemaler continued to call him away half the time. It made Hiccup privately angry because it became abundantly clear Jack would never experience what got promised. Coupled with the fact he spent one night away to fulfill his role on Earth, the compromise became grossly unfair. Hiccup found it harder and harder to mask his disdain for the way the arrangement came to fruition.

“On Earth, there're all sort of beings... spirits I'd guess you call them, all over place. Sandy and Nick think they're manifestations of peoples' troubles and fears, the things they cannot or won't understand.”

“And here?”

“You're people are tough, Hiccup. It's like you've never had time to invent all these crazy reasons why simple things exist or happen.”

“Ever take a look at our gods?” Hiccup wryly asked.

“Really? How many of you actually believe in that?” The young looking man with chestnut brown hair inquired.

“It's more like an agreement. The gods keep to themselves and we sort of say we believe and name days after them and the occasional feast and a special celebration here and there. It works out for us,” the Viking explained.

“And what did you think when you first heard about Thursar H'rim and Noro or even...”

“Don't say that name,” Hiccup interjected believing the man he loved might speak of the Breathless One. “Those are gods, Jack.”

“And what makes a god?”

“I don't know... beings with the power to create and destroy in a blink of an eye... and you're not buying this, are you?”

“Not really,” Jack said. “I know Thursar, and I like him, but I don't think he's a god even though he could probably destroy me in the blink of an eye. I don't think Noro the Sky Dancer is one either, or even The Man in the Moon.”

“Then what are they if they're not gods?” Hiccup inquired and did not quite believe what he heard.

Hiccup stared at his mate who sat in silence and appeared lost in thought. On a few occasions it unnerved the Viking when the Guardian took so long to answer. It usually meant an explanation of such bewildering complexity as to be nearly nonsensical. He waited with growing trepidation.

“A writer on my world once said that any advanced technology will appear to be magic to any less developed species...”

“So what you do isn't magic?” Hiccup interjected before Jack could really get into his explanation because he knew the word quantum lay just around the corner.

“My staff is some sort of conduit, Hiccup. I think The Man in the Moon... he... re-engineered me so I could tap into energies my species doesn't know about or understand yet,” Jack thoughtfully responded.

“And that isn't magic to you?”

“It's a form of...” Jack started and paused again while his eyes peered at the choppy water. “I guess it's a form of science I don't understand... yet.”

The two turned their heads and looked into one anothers eyes. Hiccup saw something deep and soulful in the warm brown eyes that melted his heart. He understood Jack thought about a great many things with a greater depth than any other person he knew. Granted, his mate needed to occupy his time in some fashion, but the manner he chose spoke volumes about the brain inside the cute head. Hiccup began to smile.

“What?” Jack queried while the corners of his mouth turned upward in reaction.

“You don't believe in gods, do you?” Hiccup asked around what actually cropped up in his mind.

“No, not really. I don't think a god would be as petty or vengeful as I seen some of the... entities become. Know what happens on Earth?”

The Viking shook his head from side to side.

“Groups of people there get this idea in their heads that they alone know what a god is or isn't... or which one is the real and correct god,” Jack told him, and Hiccup heard sorrowful tones creep in the normally bright tenor voice. “And then they start killing each other over what they believe and can't prove. That's when it gets really hard for children, Hiccup. Children suffer the most over ideas they can't even begin to understand. That's why I don't believe in gods. They wouldn't let something like that happen.”

Hiccup tilted forward until his forehead touched Jack's. At times he saw the weight being a Guardian heaped on his mate's shoulders. He could not imagine how the Spirit of Fun could be joyful when confronted with such ugliness, but he also knew the hidden strength in Jack allowed him to bear to the weight and carry out his duties with utter determination. More than ever, Hiccup wanted the Guardian's time on Halla to be one of life and love where worries over such issues got put behind him. The Viking wanted Jack to live and throw himself into his own life.

“Then I don't believe in gods, either,” Hiccup whispered. “But I believe in you.”

“Do you know how much that helped me become real in this world?” Jack rejoined in an almost sad voice.

“You were already real, Jack. I... we... just needed... to discover it for ourselves.”

The thin young man leaned his face forward and their lips touched. The kiss, unlike so many others they shared, proved light and gentle as if needing reassurance. Hiccup answered in kind, yet he added a bit more force. The kiss lingered for many seconds.

“My world could use more people like you, Hiccup. You have a knack for knowing what's really important,” his mate quietly stated.

“When you live in a place that freezes over for more days than are in a year, well, you figure out pretty quick what works and what doesn't,” the Viking rejoined.

Jack threw his head back and began laughing. Hiccup joined in. He never tired of making sarcastic jokes about the weather surrounding Berk. In many respects, he hoped the being called Thursar H'rim heard and might possibly consider scaling back the amount of winter he deposited on the island. However, recent experiences indicated Lord of Winter would take it as in insult. Given how the sky creature reacted to insults, Hiccup decided to keep the notion to himself.

Hiccup sat back in his cell while the memory punctuated the moment. Although the majority of his time on Earth got spent either on the run or as a prisoner in a cell with a threat of death hanging over his head, he remembered some of the incredible sights he saw beforehand and the absolute kindness of Bojan when he least expected any help. In that respect, promise and failure walked hand in hand on Earth much as it did on Halla.

“All worlds could use more people like you, Jack,” he said while curling up into a ball and resting his head on his knees. “I'm glad you got Toothless out of here, but... maybe you can come back for me, too?”

With that final plea, Hiccup returned to his memories, the one place where nothing could touch him and he could feel free.


	14. Chapter 14

Twilight followed day with evening close behind. Jack floated high above the world to the point of leaving the atmosphere altogether. Above him a moon verging on full looked down on him, and never before did he so fully feel the power of The Man in the Moon. Moreover, he did not feel as though his creator disapproved of what he planned. However, despite his appreciable power and almost indestructible body on its native world, the near absence of air and the growing weightlessness tested his limits. Regardless, the Guardian wanted to see the world from on high so he could keep in mind his responsibility applied the whole of the planet even though he focused on one small spot below.

The world continued to turn.

“And night comes to Poland,” Jack said as he watched darkness fall over the land. “Now comes the hour of the Guardians... and Jack Frost. Woe be to those who would bring sadness to the protectors of children.”

Jack could not imagine why those words escaped his lips, and briefly believed he spoke for another who surveyed his actions from above. With that, the elemental young man soared downward through the ever thickening atmosphere. Unlike physical objects that attempted reentry from such heights, Jack did not produce any friction because of his immaterial form. He sailed between clouds and always kept his eyes fixed on a single location. He rebuffed his brain's attempts to form a plan more complicated than get in, get Hiccup and Nick, and get out. Part of his thinking relied on the fact Bunny, Sandy, and Toothania now exerted their considerable might to bring peace to slumbering children wherever they could. He felt certain their actions would drive Creak to complete distraction.

A determined and fierce grin took root on his face. His white hair swayed gently even though he traveled at a high speed. Europe spread out beneath him in detailed relief, then the central part of the sub-continent, and finally the north-eastern reaches. At last he invisibly and silently cruised over Poland like a missile on a deadly trajectory. He skirted the edge of the ruined quarry that bore witness to his anger and the power he could unleash. Finally the seemingly abandoned village hove into view. Without thinking about it, Jack dipped into the ground and coursed through the very earth itself. The experience proved novel, and uneasily reminded him of time spent under the water on Halla avoiding the spokelesdrake. Furthermore, the complete lack of light meant he flew blind.

“Missed it,” he complained when he lifted his head above the ground level and realized the building he wanted now lay behind him.

After changing course and estimating where the compound lay beneath, Jack descended. He found himself in the cell of an exhausted but defiant looking man who appeared to be of Middle Eastern descent. Five reasons as to why the person landed in the hellish environment, including the chance the man carried out an atrocious act, rippled across the elemental mind. However, that problem existed for a different day. First and foremost, Jack aimed for Hiccup's cell. He discovered his mate, dressed in the awful orange prisoner uniform, curled in a corner on the cement couch lost in whatever dreams or nightmares came. A simple and direct redirection of power through his limbs caused the temperature in the room to drop by a degree per second. Half a minute later just as the effort reached its nadir, Hiccup's head snapped upward.

“Jack?” He whispered.

Several small snowflakes appeared in the air in front of Hiccup's face. Jack flew over to the Viking and pressed his mouth close to mortal's ear. An irreverent desire to make a raspberry noise nearly got the better of the Guardian, but he stayed the idea.

“Don't react,” Jack said in smallest voice he could make, “but I have to go find where they're keeping Nick. Then I'm getting both of you out of here.”

“Jack,” Hiccup nearly sobbed the word.

Emotion strangled the immortal young man at the sound. For a tiny moment, he allowed his mouth to become solid, and he pressed his lips against the ear. Hiccup shuddered. It took a supreme amount of will power to keep from doing what he wanted most, but a dear friend – his mentor – also needed his aid. Jack turned immaterial.

“Give me a few minutes,” he whispered.

Hiccup nodded his head. The Viking could not tell exactly what struck him hardest: the sound of Jack's voice, the feel of his mouth against his head, the promise of freedom, or simply how much he loved the Guardian. The young dragon rider needed to dig deep within his being to find the reserve of strength needed to enact patience. He inhaled deeply and, for the first time in his life, luxuriated in the feel of cold air. Winter, his personal winter, returned to him and made his heart ache with want for home. Hiccup lowered his head to knees again fearing his face might give away the goings on. Waiting, he found, proved harder that not knowing.

Jack hovered in the air and watched Hiccup's reaction for a few moments. He witnessed the rare occurrence of trepidation on the broad, handsome features. The green eyes looked strained. Anger roiled through Jack's body, and he fought it off. Anger could cloud his judgment and lead to mistakes. Thus, he checked himself by sailing through the wall as Hiccup lowered his head.

He sailed down the hall, stopping only to pop his head through a door to spy on the occupant. When he got to the larger cell that formerly held the dragon and did not find Nick, he fought back a sense of panic. The options played out in his head. If they moved Nick to a different location, then at least he could save Hiccup. Despite the one saving grace, the Guardian wanted to free both at the same time. He backed out of cell where Toothless once sat shackled and spun around while thinking. Jack halted when he saw the double doors to the theater where he knew torture took place. Fear seized him. Gradually he floated toward it bracing himself for the worst. Nick, he knew full well, stood as a human Guardian and, as a result, could suffer many of the same mortal fates as other humans. A knot formed around his throat as he approached door. He peered into a window, and his heart sank.

Nicholas Saint North, one of the fiercest protectors of children to ever grace the world, lay half-naked strapped to a metal table. Red welts dotted his exposed flesh. Some even oozed blood. Bruises marred half of the Russian's face: the frightful blue-black kind from blows delivered deliberately with force and skill. Nick's head lolled to one side. Jack paused, waited, and counted. He saw the hairy chest rise and fall very slowly. His friend lived, but his condition looked tentative. At first Jack wanted to weep at the sight, but then a transformation took place.

Jack felt his breathing slow. He felt his hands steady. He felt completely in control of himself as he looked on with pure disgust that humans could treat one another so. Never could the youngest of the Guardians remember when the staff felt so alive in his hands. It seemed to pulse and swell with power as a raw fury swept through Jack Frost. The air around him began to crackle as energy flowed unbidden into his form. It flooded every cell. With what seemed the barest of effort or touch, Jack raised a hand and let his fingertips brush the doors before him.

The air seemed to scream as the metal in the doors contracted from the sub-zero temperature he induced. The surfaces cracked while the small windows popped from the intense cold. Then the doors exploded, and bits of frozen metal flew in every direction. Alarms began to wail and red lights to flash. Jack saw people running around, some right through him, as they raced to examine the wreckage of the doors. In the midst of the chaos, Jack spied a movement he did not expect. Nick raised his head, a strange smile on his bloodied, cracked, and swollen lips.

“I think you have made winter very angry,” the trapped man managed to say, although it sounded muffled coming out of the injured mouth. “This is not a good thing for you.”

One of the guards nearest Nick raised a hand that held a gun. Jack raised one of his, and it happened without a single thought. The man started screaming and dropped to the floor while his fist fell off the wrist. The hand hit the floor and shattered because it got turned into a chunk of frozen meat. The frozen gun skidded across the floor trailing red ice and vapor. Most of the nearby people halted their actions and watched their colleague with recognizable horror.

“That was not nice, Jack. You are on naughty list now,” Nick said, but the underlying sentiment belied the words.

Jack wanted to smile, but the wrath boiling in his chilly depths found little humor in the statement. Instead, the area around him grew progressively colder until the very floor began to groan. Sheets of frost crept up doors and walls, and even into the feet of the people who began to dance around in reaction. Arctic air poured from Jack, although he hardly willed it. His staff gleamed like polished silver since it crusted over with ice. White light sparkled along the surface. Without hesitation, Jack finally accepted the crook as a complete extension of himself and no longer bemoaned the loss of the original. Thus, a fully fortified Jack Frost rose to the height of his power.

Everything around him began to freeze as though the sun long ago winked out.

“Jack, maybe not so cold, eh? Even this is a bit much for me,” Nick appealed to him.

Hence, only one of a few voices that could reach him at the moment did. Except for the alarms that suddenly sounded alone and forlorn, quiet surrounded Jack. He retracted some of the cold around him. People stared in his general vicinity, but he knew himself to be invisible. The visible fear on their faces galled him to no end. They, who brought untold misery to others and most likely let pleas for mercy fall on deaf ears, did not earn the right to look afraid. Oh, they needed to be afraid, Jack thought. He glanced around the operating theater where he knew Hiccup got examined if not tortured to some extent. The sight of Nick lying prone and wounded did not bode well for those who employed their skills in the hellish compound.

“And this is what is you do? Look on like sheep in the face of a storm?” He hissed and realized all would understand him. “You wring fear and terror out of people, and for what? Vengeance? A hurt no amount of retribution can fix? A need to spread pain like a disease? This is unacceptable and barbaric!”

His voice rang among the frozen hallways. Bodies gathered, huddling together against the intensely frigid air, and looked to where the voice originated. He spun in a small circle and barely kept at bay the deadly cold he wanted to set free. Plumes of condensed breath billowed from lips turning blue. They shivered and stared with eyes grown wide. Rime continued to creep over surfaces like a harbinger of his wrath.

“Nothing you can ever say can excuse what you do here... in this place that makes you no better than those you judge guilty. You care little for innocence because none of you possess one iota of it. You forfeit your humanity.”

Jack spun around one-hundred and eighty degrees. He aimed his crook at the doors to the cell where they threatened to execute Toothless. It took him nothing to call up the energy. A blast of unimaginable might sailed from the hooked end of his staff. The air sizzled as it froze in the wake. When it reached the doors, a puff of white powder erupted and the doors ceased to exist. 

“In that room you held a remarkable creature,” Jack seethed at the memory while he spoke. “Did you try to understand it? No! You chained it. Caged it. Made plans to end its existence without knowing what it is. Have you no wonder? Are you that dead inside?”

A terrified sniffle caught his attention. He craned his head around and saw those prepared to do ill to Nick and his fury renewed. Two more shot exploded from this staff, and the rest of the wall barricading the torture room collapsed into a thin line of frozen rubble. People gasped, some screamed, at the display. Their terrified reactions appalled him given what they did to others for a living. He looked at Nick who lay looking around at his captors. Not a trace of anger could Jack detect on the man’s face.

“You torture a man whose entire life is spent in the service of humanity, and you think yourselves justified? What justifies this? Your disbelief in his claims?” Jack's voice rumbled like an avalanche. “The crimes you commit here extend far into the world, and now there is a price to pay.”

“What do you want?” A voice shouted at him.

“There are two you hold here that I come to claim and free: the one there you openly and expertly tortured, and the other you can’t even figure out how to talk to. If you try to stop me, then I will answer your aggression with my own. And know this: you have no power to stop me!” He told them.

Jack's words carried through the halls as though he spoke into a megaphone. Energy continued to race into his form and it seemed to amplify everything about him. Frost continued to build on the floors and walls in an ever growing circle. Over and over the thought he should destroy the place and all who made it their mission to be there. Over and over he rebuffed the idea. Jack did not want to murder people because of anger. He did not want to murder anyone. It dawned on him that to be better than those who worked their foul deeds in those caverns he needed to offer them an opportunity they did offer others.

“I will free my two companions, and then I will return shortly,” he said clearly and in a controlled manner. “When I do, none of this compound will remain functional or even recognizable when I am finished. Take heed, you masters of pain and fear, your purveyors of evil: any who do not leave at once will perish. I am giving you the chance to save yourselves and your captives, except the two men who are unlike any you've ever encountered that will leave with me.”

No one moved. The alarms cried out. The lights pulsed with a red glow. The people seemed frozen, although Jack retained a high confidence he could not be entirely blamed. He spun in a circle again, eyeing the denizens of the hole in the ground. His patience began to frazzle. His fingers twitched and several of the alarms crackled and fell into ice dust from the walls. Only sparking wires remained. Not a single person flinched.

“GO!” He yelled and his voice came out like an explosion.

A mad dash ensued. Several people swarmed to where Nick lay.

“Just free him and leave him to me,” Jack ordered the people who glanced around like frightened hyenas.

The elemental Guardian then flew off toward Hiccup's cell. His instructions, he thought, left out a certain amount of detail. When he got near, he saw two guards hauling Hiccup roughly by his arms toward the doorway. The rough stump of wood they gave him as a peg leg made a scratching noise on the floor. Using his open hand and his staff, Jack aimed two small, tight blasts at the guards. Each person suddenly doubled over as though they got punched which, in reality, they did in the most unexpected way. Hiccup staggered. The reaction came automatically when Jack swooped in and caught his beloved in his arms. He turned visible as he held the Viking.

“Gods, i-i-t is y-you,” Hiccup stuttered the words.

“Who else rides in on a sheet of ice?” Jack parried while hugging Hiccup as tightly as he could.

“J-J-Jack-k-k, y-y-you're r-really c-c-c-cold.”

“Sorry, guess I'm still in frost mode.”

He released Hiccup who managed to stand without his help. The stood locked in a gaze. Jack felt himself begin to soften.

“That one goes with us,” a sneering voice said in German.

“Pockers,” Hiccup swore.

Jack turned and saw a woman with a severe face made more so by the fact her blonde hair sat in tied in a bun at the back of her head. The gray skirt suit she wore only added to her humorless demeanor. However, the gun held in hand and focused at the two of them added the real gravitas.

“Move away from him,” she ordered.

“This is one of the two I came to free,” Jack bluntly informed her in flawless German.

“Jack, what is she saying?” Hiccup begged.

“No, he stays with us or I'll shoot him!”

Once again Jack responded before he made the conscious decision. His finger wiggled. The end of the gun turned white as ice formed in and blocked the barrel. The woman screamed and tried to fling the weapon away, but it remained as if glued to her hand. She dropped to her knees while trying to pull the gun away, but then her other hand froze to the barrel. The flesh where her hands touched the weapon turned white. Jack walked to her while the guards he hit moments before scrambled away. She sat whimpering and watching his approach, her hands frantically attempting to divest themselves of the unbearably cold pistol. The Guardian squatted down next to her.

“Your fingers are losing mobility the longer they stay frozen to the gun,” he told her without a trace of pity. “The damage will be permanent and you won't be able to aim a weapon at anyone ever again. If it goes on much longer, you will lose both your hands.”

“Stop, please. I'm begging you,” she cried.

“Do you ever stop when you're hurting others and they beg for mercy?”

She looked at him with terrified gray eyes. Jack pulled back the energy he sent into the gun. The ice evaporated. Seconds later the gun tumbled out of her hands. She cradled them to her chest with a choking gasp.

“Unlike you I do believe in mercy, but my patience has its limits,” he flatly told her. “He goes with me or I'll freeze your legs solid. Understood?”

“What are you?” She whispered her question.

“I asked if you understood me!”

Her head bobbed up and down in rapid succession.

“Never come back to this place... not that there'll be much left when I'm done,” Jack warned, and the he softened a bit. “You might want to think about a different line of work. Your kind and my kind don't get along well, and this won't be the last time you'll face me if you keep going on like this.”

The yellow wad of hair on the back of her head turned into a blur as she repeatedly nodded with too much vigor. Jack stood and walked away from her to Hiccup. He embraced his mate in a hug. With barely a flicker of a thought, they turned invisible and then immaterial. Hiccup gasped at the sudden change.

“Told you I was powerful on my world,” he said and tried to sound chipper. “Come on. We're getting Nick and getting out of here.”

“Really?” Hiccup inquired as though it might be a cruel joke.

“Really, and, Hiccup, I'm so sorry this happened to you.”

“Yeah, yeah, just... just get me away from here.”

Hiccup hugged him tightly as they drifted off the floor. Jack went through the door instead of the wall because he wanted Hiccup to feel as though he really left the room. From there he passed around the panicked people scrambling to reach the stairwell. Privately it pleased Jack they took him at his word because he did, indeed, plan on returning and leveling the complex. Of course, he also thought, he would make certain the prison cells did not contain people. Jack would not do the dirty work of these people. At the end of the hall, the younger Guardian saw the older one. Nick stood, grabbing the side of the metal table for balance, and his red velvet sack sat at his feet. Jack made for his friend and, just as they neared, he and Hiccup became visible.

“Da, good. You have him,” Nick said and sounded tired. “Found my bag and... well, many things they should not have, so I am ready to go.”

Jack held out an arm that became solid and said: “Give me a hug, big guy.”

Nick's burly arms easily wrapped around the two thinner young men. Jack spied the golden cord of Santa's magic bag around the naked, bruised shoulder. He tried to be careful when he returned the embrace, but Nick showed no sign of discomfort.

“Now you're about to see how a Guardian properly travels,” Jack said, hoping the teasing would buoy the man.

“Nothing beats the sleigh, Jack, but we can argue about that later,” Nick returned with a hint of his normal self.

“What are you guys talking about?” Hiccup asked from his position buried between two Guardians.

“Methods of transport, and are you ready?” Jack answered and inquired.

“Not my first time doing this – remember? – so just go already. Get me as far away from this place as you can!”

The elemental Guardian did not require any further urging. He turned them all invisible and immaterial. With a little mental push, they shot skyward through the ground. Nicholas Saint North made a slight gurgling noise, and Jack took pleasure from the reaction. Once in the air and over the trees, he saw no reason to hesitate. Because he flew on Earth and directly touched the source of his power, achieving supersonic flight only took seconds. The trio soared in an arc northward to the dome of the world.

Hiccup felt weird trapped between the two bodies, one of which happened to be half naked. However, the motions as they moved and flew away from the awful prison sent waves of relief through him. Although he tried to keep his composure, the horror of what he experienced began to seep out of him. Relief at finally being free weakened his internal defenses. Tears sprang to his eyes, and his body began to shake. The Viking so desperately wanted to present a brave face to Jack and his fellow Guardian, but he failed miserably.

“Да, да, пусть его. Это конец. Теперь ты свободен, икота,” a deep, sonorous voice said to him in a language as foreign as all the others Hiccup heard.

A soothing, calm sensation swept over Hiccup. He took instant note of the fact he flew through the air with the man he loved most on two worlds, and it seemed wondrous such fortune would find him. Then the Viking became awed when he realized against all probability, as Jack liked to frequently say, that he set foot on Earth. Although he could not feel any wind or even a sense of movement or speed, Hiccup began to imagine what it should feel like. He likened it to flying on Toothless, and then his mental dam gave way. Nestled in the first safe place he found since arriving, Hiccup fell apart at the thought he would be reunited with his dragon.

“He is traumatized,” Nick quietly said to Jack.

“I know. I can't even begin... to imagine what he experienced,” Jack replied and used his focus on flying to keep himself together.

“This is a strong man, my friend, and he will survive. This will make him stronger.”

Jack tried to shrug, failed, and said: “Maybe, but he sure as hell didn't deserve to be tested like this. No one does.”

“Even you?”

As usual, the man gave the elemental being something to consider. Although the flight would not take long, he did not find it surprising when Nick's head nodded to one side and he fell asleep. How his fellow Guardian managed to keep his hands locked around two people while sleeping stymied Jack. He could also feel Hiccup's body convulse as the Viking released all the pressure and stress resulting from his captivity. Finally, Jack gave private thanks the rescue went as flawlessly as it did even though he believed some of his behavior required atonement. He looked up at the moon and the silvery glow.

“Thank you, Father Moon,” he whispered into the night sky.

For a moment the light appeared to pulse. With his crook held aloft, Jack let it guide them along the way. Below them jetliners passed on unknown journeys, and Jack wished them safe travels. He got a strange inkling that a greater force also worked to protect the invisible people, one that gave Jack his tremendous powers, and that nothing to fear lay between them and their destination.

When they reached the North Pole, Jack sailed through elves, shelves, stairs, stacks of toys, walls, and yeti. A single goal formed in his mind during the final minutes of the trip. One thing would give Hiccup heart, and he aimed for it without pause. Less than half a minute after arriving, the trio coasted into the chamber several levels under the main one. Inside a large room an incredible beast lay on a scorched round of wood with a wing covering over its head. Numerous elves adorned and draped themselves on the creature, sleeping fitfully as only the weird little people could under the circumstances. As Jack entered the room and stood half an inch above the floor, he turned the trio solid. They landed with a thump on the ground. The dragon sprang to his feet, scattering complaining elves in every direction.

“Here, pal, I have something you,” Jack said while he pried Nick's hands apart.

Santa Claus slumped to the floor. Elves raced toward the sleeping man. Their speed could not match that of the Viking who, once he realized what Jack did, hopped toward Toothless as Toothless bounded to Hiccup. His roar rocked walls. It even woke Nick as the Viking and dragon collided in the middle of the room and fell to the floor in a tangle of arms, limbs, wings. Toothless bugled ceaselessly as Hiccup said the dragon's name over and over. Jack watched the reunion, and wetness covered his cheeks. What he heard between Hiccup and Toothless did not exactly convey joy, although it formed part of it. Jack heard a cessation of fear, a release from the constant state of worry over one another, and a deep abiding love between the man and beast few could truly understand. He felt his breathing grow ragged as he struggled to contain his own emotions. The moment belonged to Hiccup and Toothless.

Something heavy landed on his shoulder.

“You kept your word, Jack,” Nick's voice rolled into his ears. “And now I can see what they mean to each other... and why they mean so much to you.”

“They're two halves of a whole,” Jack managed to say in a single sentence.

Hiccup and Toothless fell over one another and lay in roaring, weeping heap. Never before did they suffer so long a separation, and that proved the worst torment to Hiccup. The Viking felt a constriction in his chest snap and begin to disappear. Somehow breathing became easier. The idea he might never see the dragon again plagued him for over two weeks, and he paid a heavy emotional and psychological price. That, in his mind, proved to be the real torture he endured. Hiccup hugged the thick neck of the night fury with all his might, even with a cast on his arm. Toothless wrapped his wings around him as though forming an ebony cocoon. Dragon and rider seemed to melt into one another. Toothless let out with another mighty roar of jubilation.

“What in the world... oh,” Reginald began to grumble as he ran into the room but stopped when he saw the reunited duo. “You did it.”

“In style, too,” Nick added in perfect yeti. “Those people will never be able to make others believe what they saw Jack do, but what he did! This you would not believe, Reggie.”

“Jack?” A tremulous Hallan voice inquired.

The elemental man switched his line of sight and saw Hiccup staring at Reginald.

“Oh, yeah, this is Reginald. He's a yeti. I told you about them,” Jack replied and tried to sound casual although his voice remained thick from emotion from watching the reunion.

Both Nick and Reginald gazed at Jack. He stared back at them.

“What? I had to tell him about the yeti,” the youngest Guardian explained.

“No, no, Jack. This you misunderstand,” Nick replied and chuckled a bit. “We don't understand his speech... his words are... foreign to us.”

Jack frowned. He glanced at Hiccup who sat on the floor between the front legs of the midnight dragon whose head hovered protectively above. Things did not add up in the Guardian’s head.

“My friend, only you went to Halla, and only you learned the language of the children there,” his mentor reminded him. Then Nick turned to Reginald and said: “Can you get someone to draw a bath for me? I need a good long soak to wash this... filth from me.”

For the first time, Jack saw what amounted to actual personal concern on the face of the yeti. Reginald nodded, and padded off in near silence on his great fury feet. When Jack returned his attention to the dragon’s chamber, he saw Hiccup and Nick regarding one another.

“Thank him for me, please, Jack,” Hiccup almost begged. “He... gods, what they did to him.”

“Nick is a lot stronger than you realize,” Jack tried to assure his mate.

“I know, and it’s not that, he... what he went through for me... no one but you...”

“It’s his job, Hiccup, and he’d do it again and again for you without having to be asked or even needing thanks. It’s what we do. We’re Guardians and... it’s an occupational hazard.”

Hiccup’s mouth fell open. Jack turned to his friend and colleague. Nick appeared weary but alert.

“He wants me to extend his thanks to you, Nick, for trying to save him and enduring what they put you through,” the elemental Guard explained.

“Pah,” Nick said and waved a hand as though brushing it aside. “What else could I do? Tell him we are Guardians and we...”

“I already did.”

Hiccup listened as the two Guardians spoke to each other. They seemed unaware of the fact they did not speak the same language to each other. Moreover, Hiccup did not understand a word Jack said. He expected that of Santa Claus, but not his mate. Toothless warbled and Hiccup felt it rumble through his body.

“I don’t get it, either, bud,” he told his beloved winged friend. “This world is crazy.”

“How do you feel about a bath and some decent food?” Jack inquired, and a sly twitch of his lips indicated he overheard the dragon rider.

“Yes! Oh, gods, yes! And can you find me something to wear other than this?” Hiccup pleaded. “I hate these clothes.”

“We can find you something to wear,” Jack answered with certainty. “Might be a bit small, but it’ll be something.”

“What does he say now?” Nick interrupted.

“Hiccup also wants to get cleaned up, get something to eat, and get into decent clothing.”

“What about this?”

Nicholas Saint North then unslung the pack from his bloodied and bruised shoulder. He undid the cinch, and then upended the bag. Out tumbled Hiccup’s flight armor and boots, his undergarments, the flaming sword hilt, several saddle packs, and his peg leg. The thinner Guardian, the dragon rider, and the dragon looked on in complete surprise. Jack never guessed his wounded friend thought that far ahead under the circumstances.

“It seemed better I should take them instead of letting those people have it,” the tough man said as though an afterthought.

“You are absolutely brilliant, Nick!” Jack gushed in amazement.

“Da, I am, but other things were on your mind, so I grabbed what I could,” Nick responded in his typical immodest but modest manner. “Now, you three spend time together, and I’ll have things sent down. As for me, long bath and seal steak... in that order... and maybe together.”

“Nick... how can I...”

“Nyet, Jack,” his friend broke into his statement. “We do not keep accounting of these things with each other. Never and no need. We do what we must when we must because this is who we are. We do what is right because it is right. That is all.”

Jack wordlessly nodded, his eyes gleaming with affection, gratitude, and profound respect. Nick’s meaty hand clomped on his shoulder several times, nearly making Jack bend at the knee. After which he turned and began limping out of the room.

“What did he say?” Hiccup quietly asked.

“He said what only a Guardian could say... and he taught me a lot in a few words,” Jack rejoined in an awed voice.

“He’s an amazing man.”

“I think that every time I see him.”

Jack slowly spun and let his eyes finally take in a full visual accounting of Hiccup. His mate appeared ashen and gaunt, but a sparkle returned to the green eyes. It became clear the dragon man got bowed, but somehow did not break. Only his arm got broken. That proved remarkable in Jack’s mind. Jack wanted to compare it to when he first arrived on Halla, but the circumstances vastly differed. Hiccup survived alone on a world far more hostile than his home planet, and then he survived being taken prisoner and subjected to who knew what. The Guardian felt his body begin to tremble with raw emotion. He walked over to where Hiccup sat on the floor in the loving and protective embrace of Toothless. He sat down.

The two young men hugged one another while the dragon's wings half-covered them in a protective shroud. Jack could not stop the tears that fell, and Hiccup proved incapable as well. They sat clutching one another. Jack began to kiss the side of Hiccup's face to cement the reality. Hiccup sought out his lips. What ensued went beyond the definition of a kiss: it became a testament to one another. Both trembled. Both bathed in the love the felt for the other. Neither needed to say it, but they extended that love the dragon. The each raised and arm, after separating their lips, and dragged Toothless' head down to their level. The two men covered their respective side of the dragon face with kisses. Toothless warbled in pleasure.

“I’m sorry you got stuck there for so long, when I found out...” he began to say after a long time spent renewing their bond with each other and the mighty Hallan beast.

“When did you find out?” Hiccup asked with a slight edge.

“Only a couple of days ago. Sandy found out you were here from a little girl having nightmares about Toothless. She and her grandfather...”

“Bojan. He called himself Bojan, and he reset my arm.”

“I know. She explained as best she could and gave us a lot of useful information,” said Jack in a thankful tone. “But I can’t figure out how you got here in the first place?”

“Isemaler,” Hiccup bluntly said. “When you started your... transformation, he used his power to fly us through a mountain to get away from that skrill...”

“Hiccup, I honestly do not want to ride a skrill! It reminds me too much of...” the elemental young man said and halted because he did not like the comparison.

After the pause, the Viking grinned a little and continued: “I get it, and we'll find something else for you.”

Jack smiled in relief, but mostly because Hiccup sat free and with Toothless.

Hiccup watched him for a second and said: “Somehow Isemaler’s power joined with yours and I wound up in a forest somewhere on here on your world.”

“That... actually makes sense,” Jack murmured, and then spoke louder. “Once he made you immaterial, you got caught in the transference, but I don’t understand how or why we got separated. I landed in Burgess like I always do, and you were nowhere near there. The girl and her grandfather are in Slovenia.”

Hiccup simply blinked, and Jack realized the young man did not possess any knowledge of Earth geography. In response, the Guardian leaned forward and lightly kissed the Hallan on the forehead. Hiccup reached up with one good arm and one broken one, seized Jack’s head, and pulled it downward. The kiss that ensued said much for both of them that did not get conveyed the first time. Not to be left out, Toothless curled his wings around the pair and held them close. The three then sat together, bound by love, and privately rejoiced at their fortune for a second time.

Hiccup, Jack, and Toothless got awarded privacy that first night in the North Pole, even though the elves did try to sneak in to pester the dragon. The Viking eventually got a bath, clean clothes, and hearty meal. He also got a good firsthand look at the elves, tiny people that made him nervous by their group fascination with Toothless, and the yeti, creatures to which he felt indebted for their ingenious handiwork at fashioning a new tail for Toothless. Mostly, he embraced his freedom and the presence of Jack Frost and his dragon. They spoke very little about what he endured, choosing other ways to express their exceeding joy all were safe. That night Hiccup slept so soundly it almost frightened Jack.

Despite wanting to stay and keep watch over Hiccup, Jack slipped away for a short while. He went in search of the yeti who stood attending the world monitor. Small dots of light gleamed on every continent, and in many places on the oceans. Phyllis, one of the ingenious yeti who built new gear for Toothless, leaned against the console and watched him approach.

“Did all that dragon noise mean his rider returned?” She asked when got close.

“You know it does,” he replied and grinned at her attempt at humor. “Hiccup is really impressed with the tail piece and saddle you made.”

Phyllis nodded as if she expected nothing less.

“Any sign of Creak tonight?”

“Are you making a joke?” The yeti woman grumbled at him.

Jack raised his eyebrows in surprise.

“I think not,” she rumbled. “No, the other Guardians roam the world spreading their power. I suspect that miserable spirit is hiding somewhere because they work so powerfully. It nearly rivals what the four of you did yesterday.”

“Un-uh,” Jack said and shook his head. “What we did tonight is greater. We freed Hiccup and Nick. Now I need to go back and make sure that place gets taken apart.”

“Think twice on this, friend Jack.”

The caution in Phyllis' tone made him pause. He stared at her, and she stared right back. Jack slowly narrowed his eyes.

“You did what you set out to do. You saved Nicholas and your man. This was always your goal, was it not?” She slowly said in yetish and let the question hang at the end.

Jack nodded.

“Reginald is repeating the tales Nicholas told while eating and being looked after. I hear you used your power in... urphla horliph... interesting ways. Might it not be better to let them question their sanity as they try to explain what they saw and what you did?”

“Are you suggesting I not go back there and make sure that place becomes useless?” He challenged.

“What I suggest is that you forget vengeance, Jack Frost. Your might and power are best used being a Guardian instead of starting a fight with the humans. I do not think The Man in the Moon made you for that task,” Phyllis stated with very little inflection.

Somehow Jack could hear Nick in the words. He also heard Toothania and Bunny. An image formed in his mind of Sandy giving him a quizzical look. The yeti with long gray and yellow fur regarded him in silence. She made him think, and he believed it to be a form of compliment and friendship from the furry woman. His head slowly started to nod.

“Maybe... maybe I should sleep on it, Phyllis. What do you think about that?” He questioned her.

“Hmm, what I really think is there is a man and dragon from another world who probably need you more right now than a destroyed prison,” Phyllis remarked and sounded thoughtful. “I think you should take time to enjoy your victory and rest, Jack. You've earned that right this night.”

“You know what?”

The dark yeti eyes regarded him.

“I'm going to sleep on what you said. It's worth considering, Phyllis.”

“Then I bid you... pleasant dreams,” Phyllis said in a pleased manner.

“Thank you, friend Phyllis... for everything,” he replied in good command of the intricate yeti language.

The yeti gave him a quick smile and turned her attention to the monitor. Jack stood and watched her. The brief talked served as another example why Nick and the yeti worked so well together. They seemed to share very similar values. As he mulled over her words, Jack turned and began to float back to his rooms where Hiccup and Toothless slept in peace. Phyllis' wisdom could not be denied. More than ever, Jack felt fortunate he took the time to befriend the yeti. The proved as remarkable as any who occupied the North Pole as guests and residents.

When he slipped back into bed without waking Hiccup, Toothless, or the elves scattered around his room like detritus, Hiccup snuggled up against him. Jack gently kissed the side of the freshly scrubbed Viking forehead. The sleeping man from Halla sighed. Without a doubt, Jack thought as he laid his head down next to the one he loved, Phyllis proved very wise.


	15. Chapter 15

“The food tastes different here,” Hiccup said in the mid-morning after he awoke, completed some necessary ablutions, and then started to dig into a huge meal brought to Jack's room by the yeti.

“Different world, you know,” Jack lightly teased as he sat next to the Viking on the bed.

Hiccup rolled his eyes while biting off another hunk of sausage and added: “But still pretty good.”

Jack, because he now rested on Earth and assumed his full Guardian form and powers, did not need to eat. Moreover, he tried to change into his Hallan form and found it impossible, and it confused him since it happened when he brought Toothless to the fortress. He explained it to his mate, and neither could figure out the reason. Thus, Hiccup contented himself with a white-haired, pale-skinned, slightly cool to the touch Jack Frost, and he did not mind it one bit. Somehow it seemed appropriate.

“Are you okay?” Jack gingerly asked.

“No... but I will be,” Hiccup truthfully replied, setting down his fork, and staring into the ice-blue eyes of the Guardian. “It'll take a while.”

Jack nodded. Hiccup looked much improved after a full meal and a fitful night of sleep. The russet hair, wild and tussled after being wet and slept upon, shone with greater health. However, he also looked bewildering odd to Jack dressed in Earth clothes. The blue jeans, tee-shirt, and hooded sweatshirt – an item Hiccup grabbed first – made him appear otherworldly. The Hallans leather armor currently resided with the yeti for a good cleaning and repairs. No one asked them to do it: the yeti simply absconded with armor and muttered away in complete interest over Hiccup's handiwork. The green eyes studied the Guardian for a second.

“I used to wonder what it was like for you when you first arrived on my world...”

“The two situations are completely different,” Jack interjected. “What you faced was a lot worse than what I faced. I still had some of my powers on Halla.”

“Maybe,” Hiccup said with a shrug.

“Are we really going to do this again?”

“Maybe.”

Their eyes locked together. In the intervening distraction, one of the elves stole a sausage and promptly fed it to Toothless. Jack saw it from the corner of his eyes. He grinned, and Hiccup did as well.

“There's something I want to ask you, but...” the Viking started to say.

“Why do you even think you need to ask permission?” The Guardian lightly chastised him.

“'Cause this is going to bother you,” Hiccup replied, and waited for Jack to nod is approval. “Do you think Isemaler has any idea what he is capable of doing?”

Jack titled his head to the side in question.

“Jack, I saw what you can do here and... if Grimtooth ever loses his temper... I'm not saying those people back there didn't deserve it, but... come on: you know he's got impulse control problems,” Hiccup haltingly stated.

The Guardian thought about it for a few moments, and he found the roundabout question bothered him. What delighted him, however, came in the fact Hiccup thought past his own trials and troubles and worried about his people back home. Yet again, it simply proved the young man as a true leader.

“I don't think Noro would let him get that carried away,” Jack quietly but firmly answered. “I asked first before I went to free you, and nobody told me no.”

“And you didn't lose control. That woman wasn't bad...”

“She was going to have you killed and dissected.”

Hiccup's mouth snapped shut in stunned reaction.

“They used technology to look inside of you without having to cut you open first, and they saw you're not... put together like the people on Earth,” the elemental man bluntly informed him. “But that would only get them so far. They wanted to carefully take you apart to find out what you are.”

Hiccup stared at the elemental young man. He recalled the monster told him something similar, but the Viking always felt as though the creature just wanted to scare him. Hearing Jack say it, and the manner in which he said it, gave the idea an entirely different sense of reality. An involuntary shudder rippled through him. The Guardian slowly lowered his head.

“I... um, see I don't know exactly... I mean, if they hurt you or Nick... or worse... Hiccup, I might've lost control. I might've killed all those people,” he confessed.

“I've been in fights... wars, Jack, so I understand,” Hiccup said in a compassionate voice.

“But it's different for me... here... on Earth. A lot of what I did last night... I was invisible and immaterial. Even if they fought back, they couldn't've hurt me. I have an unfair advantage... you know?”

They sat in silence for a moment as the unsettling truth penetrated both. Jack knew he would pay a price for his actions, but he never imagined it would be so personnel. He wondered what impact it would have on Hiccup. Hiccup, for his part, actually understood what the object of his love experienced. Many times in the past riding on Toothless' back gave him an unfair advantage, and one requiring control at all times. He studied the powerful Guardian sitting so close to him. The Viking reached out and caressed the bony knee.

“But you knew when to stop, Jack, and that makes all the difference,” Hiccup slowly stated. “My father used to say a real warrior doesn't run into battle hoping to kill everyone in sight: a warrior goes into battle hoping to end the fight so no one else has to die. You didn't go there wanting to kill those people: you went there to free Santa and me. Big difference, Jack.”

“Yeah, I guess,” Jack mumbled.

“There's no guessing...”

A knock at the door cut off Hiccup's statement. After a few seconds, it opened and head covered in dark brown and silver fur slipped into view. Hiccup heard the unusual muffled language of the yeti. That Jack could understand it simply impressed the Viking to no end. Never in his life did Hiccup think so many languages could exist in one place. He wondered if Halla followed a similar path.

“Hurphamaph liphrumph phah,” he heard Jack respond.

“The other Guardians are here, Hiccup,” Jack said as he turned his head around. “And they want to meet you. Even though you didn't seem them in action, they helped out a lot last night.”

Hiccup, his mind still reeling from the utterly unique tongue of the yeti, gaped at Jack.

“Come on,” Jack said and stood up while extending a hand. Then he looked over at Toothless and added: “You, too!”

The dragon's head swiveled from Jack to Hiccup. The Viking nodded as ahe ccepted the hand and passed the remains of his breakfast to one of the elves. A small scrum began as the elves began to fight over the plate for unknown reasons. Their strange high-pitched voices grew increasingly aggressive.

“Only Nick can explain their behavior... and even then he doesn't know half the time,” the Guardian said while watching his mate stare at the small beings.

The fight between the elves ended when Toothless stood and left his nest. The small, beady eyes followed Toothless, and the one who won the plate dropped it as Guardian, Viking, and dragon exited the room. They scrambled after the trio.

“Why are they so... attracted to Toothless?” Hiccup whispered as they walked toward the wide circular stairs that wound both up and down, forming a hub for the central building of the North Pole fortress.

Jack shrugged and said: “Maybe because he didn't eat them.”

Hiccup accepted the answer when he realized Jack would not, or most likely could not, offer a better one. His eyes then began to scan the enormous building. It dwarfed anything he ever saw on Halla. They stairs could accommodate six stout Vikings walking abreast. The shallow rise of the step made it easy for the dragon to climb as well, and both Hiccup and Jack noted Toothless did not fly.

“The new tail piece is amazing,” Hiccup said as they continued their upward journey. “Can you thank the yeti for me when you get the chance?”

“I already did,” Jack told him. “Besides, the children had a lot of fun playing with Toothless in the snow, so... that to them is worth more than money. They're extremely protective of their young and each other, and anyone who lends them comfort or aid gets an immediate stamp of approval.”

“Toothless played with their young?”

Jack turned his head and grinned at the incredulous tone in his mate's question. After a few seconds when Hiccup's continued to silently press for an answer, Jack relented and said: “You know how he is about hide-and-seek in the snow, and since there aren't any terrible terrors around...”

“Jack,” Hiccup interrupted and the semi-sarcastic inflection reshaped the question.

“It's Nick and the castle. He's the Spirit of Wonder, you know, and it sort of infuses everything here. You're probably feeling it right now... have been since you got here. I know I am. It got to Toothless whether he's aware of it or not. It's why you don't feel put off by everything you see here.”

Hiccup stopped walking. His head tilted around as he took in the sight of the castle and occupants who busied themselves with the production of an incredible assortment of items. He did feel astonishment in such abundance it did not leave room for much of any other sensation in his head. When his eyes finally fell on Jack, the mischievous grin on his mate's face became infectious. It took all of two seconds for the Viking to remember Jack got called the Spirit of Fun, and it explained so much of how he felt toward the slender elemental man whenever they got close.

“Guardians,” Hiccup whispered as the real meaning behind the name started to reveal itself.

“Want to arrive in style?” Jack inquired. The gleam in his eyes got brighter.

The Viking felt it wash over him, replacing the misgivings he would normally feel in a strange environment. A giddy sensation as though Jack planned something exciting and unexpected. Hiccup nodded his head.

“Ready to stretch your wings, pal?” The Guardian asked as he caressed the sleek, black neck.

Toothless' body began to vibrate in anticipation. Without saying another word, Jack climbed onto the neck of the dragon. He sat waiting.

“But the saddle?” Hiccup quickly asked.

“Short flight and I can control the fin from here.”

He then gave a demonstration by pulling on the linkage. An unusual metallic hissing sound emerged as the thin plates slid over one another. Toothless' entire form started to waggle back and forth. Hiccup gave up the fight, and climbed aboard. The feel of the muscled, sturdy dragon under him acted as a tonic. He felt more of the horror of what he experienced disappear. His mind began to note all the little details, small movements, of Toothless as the dragon prepared to fly. After letting his hand slide along the length of the neck, he could barely contain his own desire to ride the wind.

“Up!” Hiccup yelled in budding joy.

Toothless' entire form tensed for a moment, and then he surged forward. The powerful back legs pushed all three into the air while he banked to one side into the open space of the gigantic stairwell. Black wings unfurled, caught the air, and they swooped. The trio sailed into wide arc. Toothless beat his wings to gain height, which they did at a rapid speed. Around the railing of the various levels large, furry heads appeared as well as small one adorned with bells. A gasp took shape as Toothless let loose with a clear, exuberant trumpet. Despite the exaltation Hiccup felt at the moment, tears streaked down his face. He could not forget how much he feared he would never again sit astride the dragon. Then the Viking felt two strong arms slip around his stomach and hold on as dragon angled upward.

“Aim toward the left of the globe,” Jack half-shouted, released one arm, and pointed.

With a skill born from years of riding, Hiccup used his knees to direct Toothless' movements. The dragon gracefully angled into the preferred direction. They soared up and over the globe. As Toothless completed the maneuver, the Viking spied the most incredible assortment of beings he ever saw, save one time. He recognized Nicholas, and the others he singled out by the verbal descriptions Jack repeatedly gave him. To an unpracticed eye, one would believe the dragon directed himself as he aimed for the group. They arranged themselves around the far side of rosette pattern inlaid in floor with the center dominated by a large rendering of the single character in the writing system used by the Guardians.

Toothless landed on the other side of the shining metal sigil. The breeze from his back-winging caused the other four waiting for them to wince. Hiccup noted the look of surprise on the face of what could only be called the largest rabbit on any world. The emerald and turquoise feathered creature, a woman of sorts, with an iridescent blur on her back floated above the floor. A short man with sallow skin and yellow spiky hair also floated, but on a golden cloud. Finally, Nicholas, all smiles and twinkling blue eyes behind the still swollen welts visible around the beard, watched them land. Hiccup and Jack simultaneously dismounted, one on each side of the neck. Hiccup remained close to the dragon while Jack walked toward his compatriots.

“These, Hiccup, are the Guardians,” Jack said with such evident pride it bordered on shameful. He stopped walking and turned.

Hiccup saw the Guardians as a group, and words failed him. In many respects it awed him more than the gods that assembled the night Jack got returned to him. He knew each Guardian fulfilled a specific purpose, but they united for a singular cause. The Viking felt his mouth open slightly as the amazement washed over him. Toothless remained motionless as if he, too, felt overwhelmed by the presence of the five Guardians.

“Oh,” Toothania squealed and clapped her hands. “He's so cute! Look at those teeth!”

Baby Tooth swooped away from the rest of the pack of attending faeries and landed on Jack's shoulder. She cheeped happily. Jack grinned.

“Yeah, he is cute,” he agreed while his normally pale cheeks turned rosy.

As one, the Guardians walked toward Hiccup and Toothless. Jack half expected the dragon to lower himself into a warning crouch, but Toothless remained stationary. He suspected the power of the Guardians temporarily overwhelmed his draconic defensive systems.

“You are looking much improved,” Nicholas Saint North said, and Jack immediately translated.

“I... yeah... this... better,” Hiccup stammered, and Jack dutifully repeated.

“Right, we've got him to throw a cog already,” Bunny muttered with the Spirit of Fun supplying the Hallan words.

“No, it's just... nothing like this on my world,” the Viking quickly replied through Jack and knocked a knee against the dragon. “Eh, bud?”

The dragon warbled.

“You already know Nick,” Jack said and pointed out the man. “I think you figured out who E Aster Bunnymund is: the Easter Bunny. That's the Tooth Fairy, Toothania, dressed in the beautiful feathers. And the short guy...”

The little man who floated on a cloud, dressed in in what looked to Hiccup like a strange variant of his prison clothes, drifted closer and upward so the two stood at more or less eye level. Hiccup felt his mood change. It seemed anything became possible in the presence of the little man. His brain frantically searched for a name.

“You're the Sandman... Sandy?” He partially asked and stated.

After Jack translated, Sandy nodded.

“You bring dreams to people.”

The Spirit of Fun interpreted the whisper, and a picture formed above Sandy's head. Hiccup's face turned to one of surprise when he saw the image of a little girl emerge, and one he recognized. She lay in a bed asleep with a smile on her face.

“That's Bojan's little girl!” Hiccup called out.

“His granddaughter,” Jack corrected and translated the statements in both directions.

The Viking focused on the Sandman and his expression grew serious as he said: “I owe you so much for figuring out what was in her heard. I'm free because of you.”

After Jack finished, Sandy shook his head side to side in negation. He then looked around to the other Guardians. He pointed to Jack, and Jack appeared above his head flying around using his crook. Then the image changed to each of the Guardians in turn, each performing their own actions. Hiccup slowly nodded.

“It took all of us, Hiccup, is what he's saying,” Jack quietly said.

“I sort of got that.”

The two youngest looking men then smirked at one another.

“Come!” Nick bellowed, and everyone flinched. “Let us sit and drink hot coco and tell our tales. There is much we need to understand about all that happened.”

“Coco?” Hiccup asked after the requisite translation.

“That thick, sweet, brown liquid you polished off first at breakfast.”

The Viking's face brightened and he nodded.

“He really liked the hot chocolate,” Jack told his colleagues.

Although Hiccup understood none of what the others said, he realized they shared a good-natured laugh with and about him over the beverage. The group, including Toothless and the coterie of elves who refused to be dissuaded by Nick, traveled across the veranda to the great planning room. When they entered, Hiccup's eyes immediately scanned the huge round table and saw the sheets of paper with drawings on them in Jack's unique sloppy scrawl. He pieced together that these pages got used during their planning to free him. The Guardians loosely arranged themselves around the table, although neither the Tooth Fairy nor the Sandman took a seat. They remained floating and flying. Likewise, Jack perched at the top of his crook as he liked to do. The small fairy remained with the Spirit of Fun as though attached to crease between neck and shoulder. Hiccup took a seat. Toothless squatted down next to him and suddenly got covered by elves.

“He should be eating those little buggers,” Bunny grumbled, Jack translated, and the other Guardians shook their heads.

“I don't know why, but I think he kind of likes them,” Hiccup said while watching two elves fight over who got to sit on the dragon's head. As he glanced around, he said: “I don't know how to thank you all for helping get me out of that place.”

Too many voices joined in for Jack to translate at once. In the midst of their overlapping talking, a yeti walked in and began depositing large mugs around the table. Hiccup greatly looked forward to the steaming liquid. Against all probability, a large bowl got deposited in front of Toothless. The dragon investigated while the elves edged closer. One tried to dip its hand into the coco, and Toothless let out with a small growl. When it came to food and the dragon, politeness often got dismissed.

Jack waited for the commotion to die down before he replied: “You don't have thank us, Hiccup. It's our job... like I told you.”

“I know, but...”

“It won't work. Just accept it,” The youngest of the Guardians interjected as the Viking began to protest.

“But what about everyone else trapped in that place?” Hiccup finished and listened as his mate switched between languages.

The Guardians did not speak at once like he expected. Instead, they glanced at each other. The silence lingered.

“Is it because of you and me, Jack?” He postulated.

Jack translated, and the Tooth Fairy spoke first.

“Hiccup,” she said through translation, “yes, that's part of it. Sometimes we make exceptions for adults under extraordinary circumstances, and yours fit into the extreme variety.”

“But...”

“But what?” Bunny cut him off and Jack added the vocal flavor to it. “Do you think we can save everyone, mate? We can't even save all the children in the world from what those poor little blokes go through. If you're feeling guilty, don't. How you got here and... how did you get here?”

Bunny successfully sidelined the current topic and what followed became a lengthy explanation with Jack doing most of the talking. Hiccup sat and listened. With his mate speaking his natural language, Jack appeared almost foreign to the Viking. Once more he noted that the rest of the Guardians spoke to each other in different tongues, and it did not appear to make a single bit of difference to them. It seemed natural to the group. It boggled Hiccup's mind anew. Finally, Jack directed a statement at him.

“What was it like for you?” Jack inquired.

Hiccup opened his mouth and found describing the transition experience very difficult. He closed his mouth and thought for a few moments. Nicholas grinned at him.

“Wise man who doesn't speak when he doesn't have a good answer,” he heard Santa say through Jack's mouth.

“It's not that, it's just... like... falling asleep in slow motion... like a strange dream. It was like wakefulness got pulled out of me and I couldn't stop it. It seemed to hit Toothless the same way.”

“And then he woke somewhere in Europe while I returned to Burgess,” Jack added, twice.

“Maybe Jack slid off when Hiccup and Toothless got knocked out. Once their contact with you broke, they went in a different direction,” the Tooth Fairy said.

Although Jack provided the translation, Hiccup already began to adjust to the unusual form of communication. It seemed as though he heard the Tooth Fairy. It reminded him of the times when Trader Johann would tell stories and provide the narrative in the many different dialects he spoke. However, at the moment, Hiccup and Jack shrugged their shoulders in unison in response to Toothania's speculation.

“Sounds reasonable,” Jack stated a few moments later.

Hiccup looked around and saw the Sandman frowning.

“Jack, the Sandman?” Hiccup inquired.

Jack said something in his native language. Sandy continued to frown and then looked upward. Above his head an image of the moon formed. It began to pulse. The effect it produced on the others became palpable.

“Jack?” The Viking prodded.

“He's asking about The Man in the Moon's role in this, and it's a very good question,” the Spirit of Fun answered and he voice dropped an octave in the process.

“Wait! You think he did this on purpose?” Hiccup queried and half stood as agitation edged into his form.

Jack translated. Hiccup did not sit down and Nick stared at him. Finally, the man called Santa Claus rejoined.

“Maybe,” Jack said as slowly as the man and with an odd modulation in his delivery. “Who knows? Sometimes The Man in the Moon does things and does not tell us the why, but there is always reason for it.”

“Why are you talking like that?” The Viking asked his mate.

“It's how Nick sounds to me... I guess.”

Nick start to speak again, and Jack continued with the weird affectation: “But he is not mean about it, Hiccup...”

“My name...”

“Live with it,” Jack fired back and continued to translate. “Hiccup, at times The Man lets things happen as they will. Accidents are... accidental, but what we get from some accidents...”

“Torture. You got torture out of this, Nick,” Hiccup argued. “You mean to tell me you think this was fair for someone as powerful as The Man on the Moon to let happen?”

Jack did vocal double-duty as fast as he could.

“Not fun, nyet. Not fun one minute, but we know many things now we would not know if this did not happen. Knowledge comes at a cost, no?”

“Really? You're willing to pay that kind of price to learn a few things?”

“Tell me about your leg, dragon man,” Nick calmly said in Jack's voice.

Hiccup felt like he got slapped. He sat down. Jack always told him Nicholas hid a brilliant mind behind the jolly demeanor, and that as a warrior few could equal the man. The Viking got good example in how Nick verbally parried.

“He's got a point, Hiccup,” Jack quietly said.

“Don't rub it in,” he grumbled.

“Hiccup, I do not say this to upset you,” Nick began speaking again, although Hiccup needed to wait a few seconds. “I've heard the tales of what you do for your people. You know sacrifice is needed sometimes.”

Underneath the words the Viking knew the man alluded to his father. Apparently, Jack told them everything he learned in Halla.

“Toothania, Bunny, and Sandy told me how they fought Creak back so he would not interfere with Jack again when he came to get us. That is valuable knowledge for us Guardians to have, and it is worth everything they did to me to get it,” the man said in a very solemn voice and left no doubt he meant it.

“Who's Creak?” Hiccup whispered to his mate and narrowed his eyes.

Jack craned his head around to look the Viking in the eye while he said: “This... creature who terrorizes people, feeds off their fear and...”

“And has orange eyes and looks like a pile of garbage found in some abandoned forest...” Hiccup started to interject.

“You've seen Creak?” Jack took his turn interrupting, staring in both interest and worry at his mate.

“It... he didn't call himself Creak,” Hiccup replied.

“Pulhu?” 

Hiccup felt his gut twist a bit at the name and nodded.

“How? When...” and Jack could not find the right words to ask his myriad of questions.

“I think Pulhu found me on the first or second day after I got here,” Hiccup whispered. “Toothless kept reacting to something in the woods I couldn't see... but I saw the eyes once before we tried to find this place.”

“You were trying to find the North Pole?”

The Viking wore a slightly blank expression as he said: “I remembered it was something north, so we started flying in that direction, but there were so many villages and all those lights... and those things flying in the air... and the machines that attacked us...”

“Stop, Hiccup... stop,” Jack broke into what appeared to be a long litany that, while he wanted to hear it all, got in the way of a few important points requiring investigation first. He also needed to inform the Guardians as well.

Hiccup sat and listened while Jack restated the last exchange. Nearly as one the Guardians leaned forward and serious expressions crossed their faces. The Sandman looked exceptionally angry. It made sense since the monster operated in the dark and scared the living daylights out of children that the little man worked so hard to send into a fitful slumber.

“Go back to Pulhu,” Bunny piped up first, and Jack modified his voice to make it sound individual. “When did you first really see him?”

The Viking sat with the unfocused eyes of a person searching through the past. Moments slid by. The others around the table patiently waited. Fortunately, the elves ceased their fighting and arranged themselves around the dragon that curled into a ball to take a nap.

“I saw the eyes once... but then over a week later it started talking to me,” Hiccup said in hushed tone, and Jack missed nothing in the translation. “I think it touched me, and then it started taunting me about how you... Pulhu called you cold boy and said you forgot about me. It happened a few of hours after me and Toothless shot a couple of those machines out of the sky. They were chasing us... and that thing... I got captured because of Pulhu!”

Real venomous anger poured out of Hiccup as he remembered the events of that particular morning. It became clear the monster purposefully distracted him, filled him with terror and made him overreact to give away his position. Were it not for that grotesque thing, Hiccup thought, he might never got imprisoned. As if to accentuate the point, Toothless let out with a long, low, mean growl. Hiccup reached down and stroked the ebony creature's head.

“It's what he does, Hiccup,” Jack calmly said. “He got to me a couple of times, too, telling me what they were going to do to you. I hate Pulhu, too.” 

Then the Spirit of Fun repeated everything for the benefit of the others. Nick frowned at Jack, said something, and nodded.

“He wants me to tell you what Leiyís'axt...

“Lay what?” Hiccup blurted, bewildered by a word he found strange even for a strange world.

“I'll explain that later, but it's a very old being... older than any of the Guardians I think, and...”

Jack paused. He glanced around the table. Without a detailed understanding of Leiyís'axt, it made describing what the hado'ih told him more difficult to comprehend. Thus, Jack mumbled something to his compatriots and sat wrapped in thought for several minutes. Hiccup knew the look very well and knew the importance of it.

“Leiyís'axt told me Pulhu's been around probably as long as human's existed...”

“How long is that?” Hiccup interrupted with a question he believed rhetorical in nature.

“In our current form probably a couple of hundred thousand years, but I think Pulhu has been around for a couple of million following humans around as we evolved.”

The Viking's mouth fell open.

“It means he's so old and powerful we can't defeat him, but now... because Pulhu focused on you because you're connected to me, we learned so much more about what he is and how he operates,” Jack said and his voice brightened. “We know how to... kind of... neutralize Pulhu, and we've never been able to do that before.”

Hiccup found himself stuck on trying to imagine someone, something, anything, existing for millions of years. His brain struggled and slowly gave up trying to comprehend it and accept the words as a general statement. He sat back in his chair.

“Hiccup, Nick is willing to die for such knowledge. Any of us would,” his mate slowly said.

“But what good does it do for a dead Guardian?” Hiccup protested.

“You – of all people – ask me that?” Jack questioned him in a disappointed and disapproving manner.

Jack then turned and began a long translation for the benefit of the Guardians, who also appeared to ask questions. In that span, Hiccup wallowed in an uncomfortable position. Jack did not need to say the name of the man who died protecting a son who would go on to protect an entire village of people. The Viking realized his nerves, his entire being, still suffered from the effect of the long imprisonment and weeks of uncertainty. It gave him a short temper toward anything he perceived as foolish.

“Hiccup?” Jack softly said his name.

Hiccup glanced up at his mate.

“Nick and Bunny think we should take a break from debriefing with you. You look sort of pale right now.”

“I'm okay. We can keep talking,” Hiccup refuted.

“No, you're not okay, and I don't expect you to be okay. None of us do. What you went through...”

“They tortured Nick, Jack, and he's willing to sort through this!”

“It's not the first time he's been tortured, Hiccup, so he knows how to recover,” the elemental young man said with an edge to his words.

“Jack, I'm sorry...”

“Don't apologize ‘cause you haven't done anything wrong. We've got a three or four more days before we go back to Halla, so there's time,” Jack informed him.

“Why do we have to wait?” Hiccup partially pleaded with the question.

“Because I don't return until the full moon. Father Moon needs to be at full strength to open the portal, and since you came through with me...”

“I have to go back with you,” Hiccup finished. “Makes sense.”

“And if we take a break, then that means I can introduce you to someone I want you to meet.”

“Aside from Santa Claus, Bunnymund, Toothania, the Sandman, the elves, and the big furry people?”

Jack grinned and replied: “Yes, on top of all those there are a few more. I need you to see what really makes up my world here, Hiccup.”

The entreaty in his mate's voice shattered Hiccup's resistance.

“Besides, don't you want to get out and fly on Toothless some more?”

“That is downright evil,” Hiccup dryly rejoined. “You're not allowed to use my dragon in an argument.”

“First, I didn't know we're arguing, and, second, all's fair in love and war!”

The other Guardians started to talk among themselves. Hiccup watched as Jack's face turned scarlet. He wondered what got said. He waited.

“Well? What did they say that embarrassed you?” Hiccup finally demanded when Jack proved reluctant.

“They said they way we go back and forth is like an old married couple... well, Nick added the old part.”

Hiccup felt his neck heat up, and both Bunny and Toothania snickered. He never considered the fact his relationship to Jack did form a marriage of sorts, and it set an idea to seed in his mind. However, whatever he planned got put on reserve as Nick stood as did the giant rabbit. Jack floated down from the top of his staff. He stood as well. The five Guardians slowly converged on him until his back rested against the table. Once again the sight of the group stunned his sense.

Nick held out a hand. Hiccup glanced at it and slowly extended his own. The big, meaty appendage of the man engulfed his. When he squeezed, Hiccup felt water gather in his eyes. Yet again he got reminded of Gobber who hid his strength behind a seeming buffoonish façade.

“Maybe this accident of you coming here is not such a bad thing,” Nick slowly said in Jack's altered voice. “Jack told us all about you, but seeing... seeing what he sees in you is clear now.”

A large, furry hand-like paw landed on his shoulder. Hiccup glanced up into the strange yet oddly comforting face of the Easter Bunny. The Viking felt as though all possibilities opened to him in the presence of the Guardian. Bunny grinned at him.

“We're here for you, mate, and we've got you covered. You're a warrior, Hiccup; that much is pretty clear, too,” the enormous rabbit-like person told him through the translator.

Toothania's soft hands gripped either side of his face. Her feathers gleamed like precious gems. Her smile shone with the brilliance of diamonds illuminated by the sun. He recalled the first time Valka touched him in what could only be called a mothering manner.

“You kept Jack safe on your world when he needed it most, and we will always do the same for you here. I know he said this to you before, but you really are a Guardian in your own way,” the fantastical flying woman spoke, and Jack managed to the inflections of her voice.

Lastly the Sandman took his other hand. The dream-like quality of Hiccup's current surroundings intensified. The colors seemed more vivid, and the feel of the Guardians touching him made his skin tingle. Sandy simply smiled at him, and the message it carried did not need words. Hiccup smiled in return.

Finally, a thin set of cool arms slipped around his chest, causing Hiccup to chuckle. Mostly he felt love from and for Jack. However, the combined powers of the five soothed him in ways he could not describe. It made the Viking feel protected and special. The mental damage and hurt he received for two weeks seemed to lessen to a manageable level. He studied the group while basking in their abilities. Given what he experienced and knew of Earth, he intuitively understood the need for the Guardians

“Thank you,” he whispered even though it seemed inadequate for the moment.

Jack kissed the back of his neck.

“No one ever needs to thank the Guardians,” Nick said, and it barely registered in Hiccup's mind Jack did not translate. The man's voice rolled round and thick into his ears. It seemed magical even though the grip on his hand made his fingers numb.

“Go on, Hiccup. Go have some fun with Jack. You've earned it,” Toothania said in her light, warbling voice as she gently waggled his head back and forth.

“Aye, mate, but be careful: that one will lead you into trouble,” Bunny told him with a wink and squeeze of his shoulder.

Sandy tugged on his hand. Hiccup looked down. Above the little man's head an image of Toothless soaring through the air took shape. On it sat a small caricature of himself. Then one of Jack appeared, flying alongside.

“I love flying as much as him,” he told the Sandman.

“I'll keep to the ground, thank you very much,” Bunny remarked while letting go of his shoulder. “If the fat man offers you a ride in the sleigh, don't go for it. It's terrifying.”

“Here we go again,” Toothania quipped and let her hand fall away. “They'll argue about this for hours.”

“You just have no appreciation for aeronautics, Bunny,” Nick returned and freed Hiccup's hand from the punishing if friendly hold. “Everybody loves the sleigh!”

“Speak for yourself,” the fur-covered Guardian retorted.

Hiccup saw Sandy shaking his head while his mouth converted into a wry grin as he released the Viking's hand and drifted upward. Three of the five Guardians fell into friendly bickering regarding flight. One Guardian, however, did not let off his hold on Hiccup. The effects of their powers, however, remained in full force. Hiccup listened and smirked. It reminded him of dragon riders during better days.

“You, all of you... you're... incredible,” Hiccup whispered as the warmth continued to spread through his body.

“Says the man from another world who rides a night fury and faced Beserkers and Marauders and some other really deranged Vikings... and who survived Earth all alone,” Jack replied and hugged his body.

“You make me sound braver than I am.”

“The brave never think they're being brave.”

In the background, Nick and Bunny carried on their raucous debate. The rabbit clearly did not like traveling on the sleigh. The man, however, displayed a playful dislike of moving under the ground in tunnels. Hiccup did not understand the reference. Toothania chimed in with the fact that neither of them truly understood flight like she did, and then she mentioned Jack. Hiccup watched as a thick vertical line with a ball under it form over the Sandman's head. He appeared to happily reject her assertion.

“Are they like this... wait as second! Jack, I can under...”

“Sometimes under the right conditions, the act of touching someone with pure intent and meaning causes a chain reaction. Our abilities, our powers, can align the electromagnet fields in the brains of people so that the neural pathways receive clear signals...”

“You forgot to mention the quantum effects,” Hiccup smugly interjected.

“Well, that goes without saying, Hiccup. I mean, sure, yes, a lot happens on the quantum level that directly affects the macro fields...”

Privately and very happily the Viking gleefully regretted even mentioning the word.


	16. Chapter 16

In the days that followed, Toothless led an ecstatic existence as Jack routinely funneled energy into the dragon. He carried his rider to many locations around Earth that held special significance to the elemental Guardian. The night fury revealed a partial jealousy that no matter how fast he flew, he could never quite seem to match the speed of Jack. Hiccup laughed and lovingly slapped the neck of Toothless while chiding him for his churlishness. During their flights, both the Viking and the dragon seemed exceptionally pleased by the new tail piece, and Hiccup carefully studied it every chance he got. It looked deceptively simple, and he spied some unusual and highly advanced engineering in all the parts. The yeti design proved a marvel and added a finer degree of control to flight.

On the evening of the twenty-seventh day since accidentally arriving on Earth, the dragon, the rider, and the Guardian stood by the edge of a large pond in the woods northwest of a small town. A ripe moon hung overhead in the spring night painting everything in a white light. Toothless tentatively tasted the water, and then took a long drink. The Viking watched as a somewhat somber mood came over his mate.

“Jack?” He quietly said the name.

“This is where it happened, Hiccup. This is where I became me,” the elemental forever young man told him.

Hiccup did not verbally respond and let his eyes cast out over the body of water.

“On the other side, just over there,” Jack said and pointed to the opposite shore, “that's where I convinced my sister we could play on the ice. It was too thin, and she was scared. She made it back to shore and... I... fell in.”

The Guardian glanced up at the moon and then at Hiccup.

“I used to get angry, sometimes, thinking I did something foolish, but at least I saved my sister. I don't know how long I was in the pond while the transformation took over. I remember seeing the moon through the water and then coming up through the ice. I found the crook lying not far from where I emerged... but... my sister was gone.”

“Jack, you don't have to do this,” Hiccup said in a gentle tone.

“No, I'm not really sad... not even angry,” Jack replied although the smile on his face did not convey humor. “It's weird, but I didn't even think about my sister right then. This was all so new, and then I found out I had these powers with frost and ice and snow... and the crook. When I went to Hawthorne...”

“Hawthorne?” The Viking inquired about the odd word.

“It's what they used to call Burgess before they decided to name it after Thaddeus, who, let me just say, didn't do as much for the town as they thought,” Jack clarified, and then his eyebrows drew together. “But it was there I realized people could not see or hear me... no one. Not even children. I was invisible to everyone.”

“What about the Guardians?”

“Them? It was a couple of decades before I really interacted with any of them. Once when Christmas was coming...”

“Christmas?”

“Like Snoggletog... but with a different meaning, and it's Nick's one big night to shine. It's what made him a legend... and a Guardian.”

“Oh, yeah. I remember: the toys and presents and cookies and milk and reindeer poop...”

“The poop isn't a big part of it,” Jack refuted and smirked.

“Well, Bunny says the poop...”

“Consider the source, Hiccup. Didn't you notice there's some friendly rivalry there?”

Hiccup grinned. He did notice, and he thought the stories Bunny told him about Jack and Nick grew increasingly exaggerated over the past few days. However, he enjoyed listening now that he no longer required Jack as a translator and found the mischievous, subtle humor very amusing. Hiccup discovered he really like the boisterous and blustery giant rabbit. In the end, he admitted he really liked each of the Guardians for very distinct, individual reasons.

“Anyway, to make a long story short, I made it snow for Nick in a number of places where it was unseasonably warm, and that sort of became part of the legend,” Jack semi-concluded the story.

“You sound a little peeved about that,” the Viking commented

“Well, I work all winter long and he only works for one night a year...”

“And the production of the toys?” Hiccup pointed out.

“You did notice the elves and yeti, right?” Jack semi-sarcastically retorted.

“I wouldn't say the elves are really part of the production.”

“More like product testing.”

Given the apparent instinct of the elves for destruction in the workshop, the assessment made sense. Hiccup witnessed a number of times the elves made seemingly innocuous objects explode. Their inexplicable knack for igniting things worried him regarding Toothless' safety because of their endless fascination with the dragon. Hiccup rolled his eyes and nodded.

“I guess that's why I started working so hard at making winter as memorable as I could for anyone, but especially for children. I wanted them to believe in me so bad that maybe I got a little carried away for a century or two,” the elemental Guardian confessed.

“Yeah, I heard about that event called the Blizzard of ‘68...” Hiccup said as casually as he could.

“We, ah, don't really talk about that. Bunny can't quite seem to get over it.”

“He might. I told him what weather is like on Berk and about Thursar.”

As if by instinct, both Hiccup and Jack looked into the mostly cloudless sky. They then glanced at one another and chuckled realizing the ridiculousness of their joint reaction. Neither truly believed Lord of Winter could hear his name through whatever dimension or distance they traveled to reach Earth.

“Anyway, both he and Toothania are kind of surprised we don't have Guardians on Halla,” Hiccup concluded.

“Maybe Isemaler is the start,” Jack offered.

Hiccup rolled his eyes to express his opinions.

“Hey, in a couple of hundred years, you never know,” the Guardian opined.

“I'll leave a note warning the descendants of Berk to watch out!”

Jack took his turn rolling his eyes. The mood between them settled as Hiccup scanned the area once again. An odd thought crossed his mind, so he decided to share it while scratching Toothless wet chin when he sidled up to his rider. His soft warble sounded pleased.

“From what I've seen, you're people build wherever they can, so I don't get why they didn't build here?” He inquired.

Jack looked up at the moon.

“Really? I didn't think he intervened like that.”

“I've thought about that question over and over, and it's the only explanation I can come up with,” the pale young-looking man replied. “I think he preserved it for me... especially since the transformation knocked so many memories out of my head.”

“But you remember waking up a Guardian.” Hiccup half-asked.

“No, I remember waking up as... me, Jack Frost. You forget I spent three hundred years trying to figure out why The Man in the Moon gave me these powers. The whole Guardian thing didn't start until about thirty... forty years ago. Remember?”

“You know I have a hard time looking at you and thinking you're that old.”

Jack nodded and said: “And that's kind of why I brought you here. Plus, there's someone I want you to meet.”

“Like the Broken Nose? It never showed,” Hiccup reminded Jack as the youngest Guardian lifted half a foot into the air.

“Leiyís'axt was there, but you couldn't see her... him... I never figured out a gender, but at least he didn't allow himself to be seen.”

“Oh, how do you know?”

“That little earthquake was him settling in to watch you. He really likes Toothless.”

Once again an unsettling feeling crept over Hiccup. The notion beings of such extraordinary power could be anywhere and keep themselves hid from view made him nervous. His mind turned back to the one that did make itself known. Just as he prepared to make a comment, a rustling sound erupted in the woods to their south. Toothless crouched low and began to growl.

“Hold on, pal, I hear it too and I was waiting for it,” Jack said and walked toward the dragon. He stroked the neck in a comforting manner.

“Definitely not one of your kind, Jack,” Hiccup stated while focusing in on the location of the sound.

“Nope, and this one is going to surprise you... both of you actually.”

The Viking glanced warily at his mate. Jack, however, kept his eyes fixed on the tree line. Even though Toothless stopped growling, his body remained on alert. All three waited. The sound of crunching leaves and snapping branches grew louder. Suddenly a man emerged from the woods, and he did not appear pleased. However, when he spied the trio, he stopped in his tracks and gaped.

“Jack, he sees us,” Hiccup warned.

“I know,” the Guardian said as he began to walk forward toward the man.

When Jack reached the half-way point, the slightly chubby man with thinning brown hair and a round face began to jabber at the elemental man. Jack responded. Hiccup felt a minor shock because he got used to being able to talk to the other Guardians. It served as a reminder he remained the stranger. The Viking relaxed when Toothless relaxed since it seemed the dragon did not regard the man as a threat. Minutes passed as the Jack and the fellow engaged in some form of minor argument. After five minutes, the two slowly approached.

“He's nervous about Toothless,” Jack said when they got close enough.

“Toothless knows he's not dangerous,” Hiccup rejoined.

Jack spoke to the man. When they got within six feet of the Hallans, the two stopped. Jack positioned himself between everyone. A small smile spread crept onto his lips.

“Hiccup, this... this is Jamie Bennett,” the Guardian announced the name.

Hiccup inclined his head while Jack made reverse introductions using the weird Earth pronunciation of his name.

Jamie looked at a Hiccup and said, through Jack: “Uh, hi. Nice to meet you.”

“Same here, and who are you... exactly?” Hiccup replied.

“Can you be a little less defensive?” His mate chided him before speaking to the man.

Jamie smirked and nodded.

“Jamie is the first child who ever believed in me as Jack Frost,” Jack told him.

“Seems a little old for a child.”

“You're not going to be nice about this, huh?”

“Look, I'm sorry, but he's not a child, Jack,” Hiccup retorted.

“No, he's not, but Jamie never stopped believing in me, and that's why he can still see me. He believes as much – maybe more – than he did as a child.”

After a couple of seconds, the significance of the statement washed over Hiccup. The pieces snapped together in his mind as he recalled the tale of how Jack first became a Guardian. The man standing before him, dressed in jeans and a sweater over a shirt, suddenly took on greater importance. The Viking felt a bit foolish at his initial reaction, so he extended a hand in greeting. Jamie slowly stepped forward to accept it. Toothless let out with a small snort that caused the man to jump back a foot.

“I forget how intimidating he can be,” Jack mumbled while walking up to the dragon and crouching down so they were at eye-level. He looked right in the big yellow-green eyes and said: “This is a very close and dear friend of mine, Toothless. Please, be nice to Jamie. He's on our side.”

The dragon regarded the elemental man for a few seconds. Jack then craned his head around to look at the Earth human. Hiccup guessed he repeated what he said to Toothless in his native language. Jamie appeared relieved and smiled at Jack.

“Show him how to make friends with a dragon,” Hiccup suggested.

“He might not go for that,” Jack returned.

“Wouldn't hurt to offer.”

Jack's head waggled back and forth while he considered the idea. Thus, the next fifteen minutes passed convincing Jamie Bennett the creature would not attack. Hiccup, at first, wondered why the man seemed so calm when first confronting them, but then remember the man saw things as a child few on the planet could ever dream about. In the end, Jamie bucked up the courage, and carried out the instructions. Toothless did not hesitate in extending both his snout and trust to the man. Hiccup got the distinct impression the dragon seemed to understand the importance of the man to Jack.

“He can't believe how soft he feels,” Jack translated for Jamie who became more confident after the elemental showed him where the dragon liked to be scratched.

“Baby boo will snuggle-wuggle wif anybody who knows where to scratchy-scricthy him,” Hiccup teased the now compliant dragon.

Toothless, in response, jerked his head to the side and roughly butted Hiccup in the leg. The Viking stumbled from the impact while the dragon returned to receiving more attention. Both Jack and Jamie laughed at the display.

“Does he know... about us?” Hiccup inquired when the snickering died down.

“Yeah, I told right away the first time I got back from Halla,” Jack answered. “He was kind of thrown off by the fact I'm gay at first, but I said it didn't really apply because I could've fallen in love with anyone.”

“Even Goatteeth or Mildew?”

“Gods, no!”

Jamie looked back and forth between them, and Jack provided the man a run-down. After which Jamie stared at Hiccup for a few moments. Hiccup could see questions in the brown eyes.

“What does he want to know?” Hiccup offered.

Jack and Jamie complete a brief conversation, during which the man never let up ministering to Toothless who leaned harder into the Earthling. Privately, Hiccup felt a surge of pride regarding the night fury for a multitude of reasons.

“Um, wow, this is tricky,” the Guardian said after a few minutes. “Ah... basically he wants to know how you came to believe in me in the first place... when I got to Halla.”

“Why is that so tricky?”

“Well, it was more a question about how I managed to become real in a different reality and if I actually exist there and you actually exist here.”

“Oh, gods, is this a quantum question?” Hiccup moaned.

Jack laughed and said: “Yes.”

Hiccup stood regarding Jamie while Jack explained. When Jamie started laughing, the Viking knew the Guardian properly translated his reaction. However, it afforded him a chance to think of a response that made sense to him and he hoped would make sense to the Earth man.

“Jack, tell him what's real is how... what you did for my people as Isemaler proves it doesn't matter whether or not you're actually real there because you had a real affect,” Hiccup slowly articulated. “You made the children on Berk laugh and think of winter as something... beautiful and magical. You did the same for me.”

Hiccup saw Jack's eyes glisten as bit as he spoke, and then the Viking nodded toward Jamie. Jack began to speak in the same measured tone Hiccup used. Jamie listened, and his face reflected how he received the information. Before Jack finished, he stood staring at Hiccup. Then he spoke rapidly for quite a bit of time.

“He said that's an impressive answer,” Jack translated.

“Was he speaking reverse yeti?” Hiccup sardonically inquired.

“No, but... it's... he got mushy.”

“I want to hear the mush!”

The elemental young man's cheeks turned pink while he said: “Jamie says you figured out how to really look at what makes me truly special, just like he did... and it's how he looks at his children and wife. He knows respect and love when he hears it... regardless of the language.”

“You just can't accept compliments, can you?” Hiccup scolded his mate, but could not stop the corners of his mouth from turning up.

The Guardian cocked a single eyebrow, and Hiccup expected a tongue lashing.

“And he also said you're a handsome man who must have some equally special qualities if it could make me fall in love with you... and not just because you have a dragon!”

Hiccup felt his neck heat up.

“Like I said, he got mushy,” Jack playfully grumbled.

“Yeah, but he's not wrong.”

Jack began to snicker and translated the chat for Jamie, who also began to laugh. There and then Hiccup heard it. Jamie laughed like a child did with conviction and simple joy. Inside the man, he speculated, lived the child who helped bring the one the dragon rider loved into focus. In some regards, Jamie acted in parallel to Jack.

“He's your Guardian here, isn't he?” Hiccup openly speculated.

Jack wordlessly nodded. After a few seconds he softly said: “Jamie was the first. His belief in me helped make me what I am.”

“Tell him what we just said, and tell him I owe him a debt I can never repay,” Hiccup instructed his mate.

Jack paused.

“No, tell him what I said right now!”

The pale young-looking man sprang into action. He spoke in his native tongue. While he did, Jamie stared at Hiccup. The Earth man's head began to bob up and down during the short exchange. For half a minute Hiccup and Jamie regarded each other and the Viking felt a sense of kinship with the man. Both fully understood the importance, power, and role belief played in Jack's life. Jamie then said something to Jack without taking his eyes off Jack.

“Seriously?” Jack blurted, and then said it again in a different language.

Jamie curtly nodded his head.

“Okay,” the Guardian said and stood up. “He wants to know if he can go for a ride on Toothless. He told me to tell you there aren't a lot of dragons on Earth.”

A huge grin covered Hiccup's face while he said: “Tell him to buckle up!”

The message got transmitted while Hiccup prepared the saddle the yeti built but then modified for him. Hiccup originally wanted to help, but the large creatures became protective over their tools and their trade. Thus, Hiccup, Jack, and Toothless spent part of a morning playing with the yeti children while a beautiful saddle came into further being. Hence, Jamie became the first person to ride in the back passenger seat. Jack instructed the man on how to approach Toothless, mount, and sit. Then the Guardian went about strapping in his human friend.

“Up!” Hiccup commanded when the preparations ended, and Jamie Bennett became the only human on the planet to ride a night fury.

Toothless leapt into the air, and Jamie instantly wrapped his arms around Hiccup's lean body when the dragon vaulted. Hiccup heard the man gibbering, but it sounded both awed and excited instead of frightened. Jack flew above, next to, and under them in a corkscrew fashion as they cleared the tree line. A sense of caution stole over Hiccup because he knew they flew while completely visible. Thus, he scanned the skies for the things called airplanes, helicopters, and jetliners. Fortunately, Burgess did not boast a commercial airport, and the skies remained blissfully clear for quite a distance. Several minutes passed in silence as they gained altitude and circled around the town.

Jamie yelled something to Jack, who then flew close to Hiccup and said: “He wants to know how fast Toothless can fly.”

“Tell him, this fast,” Hiccup replied.

Jack repeated the two words.

“Okay, bud, let's move!” The Viking said to the dragon while leaning forward and changing the tail piece configuration. Jamie leaned forward as well.

Toothless began to beat his wings faster and faster, angling upward to gain greater altitude. The two mortals and the dragon sped up. Hiccup could feel Jamie's heartbeat accelerate through his newly cleaned and repaired flying gear because it beat so hard. The dragon shot upward, reached an apex, and then began to dive. The black body arched and aimed downward. Jamie let out a howl as black wings drew inward and they began to hurtle toward the trees. Slowly, the distinctive whine of a night fury slicing through the air at nearly top speed also cut through the air. The human hugged the Hallan in a tight embrace as Toothless swooped downward and then leveled out. The wind tore at both of the people.

Next to the dragon, the Guardian kept pace and laughed a pure, crystalline sound.

“Echo!” Hiccup called out.

A blue ring of faint plasma shot out from Toothless' mouth. It expanded into a wider circle until it disappeared, but not before the night fury caught up and passed through it. Jamie let out with another whoop. Hiccup instructed Toothless to turn into a wide, banking turn using his knees. The whistle of the air passing over the trio became louder. In years past, people hearing the sound used to cower in fear of the fiery strike to follow. Now, two men reveled in the glorious abilities of the dragon. The night sky belonged to them, and they used it.

Half an hour later Jamie stood swaying on the ground in almost the exact spot where they took off, and he babbled so fast Jack needed to yell at him to make the man stop. The man's thinning brown hair lay pressed against top and sides of head, and the gleam of thrill in his eyes did not diminish since landing. Jack started laughing when Jamie persisted in his rapid-fire delivery.

“He wants to know where he can get a night fury,” Jack translated part of his human friend's monologue.

“You know as well as I do that's a question we haven't figured out yet,” Hiccup said while patting his stalwart companion who looked very pleased at his performance. The metal plates of the new tail fin clicked as he swung his tail back and forth.

Jack translated, Jamie responded, and Jack shook his head while saying: “You do realize he's going to ask me every time he sees me when you're coming back so he can go for another ride?”

Hiccup cocked an eyebrow and gave a long askew glance at his mate.

“I'll, ah, break the news gently to him,” the elemental man said after a few seconds.

Jack did, and the explanation went on longer than the Viking expected. An actual conversation took place that, when Hiccup tried to interject, Jack ignored him. Thus, he waited absentmindedly rubbing the top of Toothless' head. When the talk ended, Jamie walk straight to Hiccup, within half a foot. A look of worry rippled across the man's face. Without warning, Jamie threw his arms around the Hallan and spoke while he hugged.

“He's says he sorry for what you went through, and he wants you to know not everyone on Earth is like that,” Jack quietly supplied the words. “He also said he knows you and Toothless are too important to lose on any world, and he understands why you won't be coming back.”

Hiccup returned the surprise embrace. The man squeezed him. In that one act it became clear Jamie cared for Jack's life and all the parts of it. The friendship between the human and the Guardian, the Viking realized, served as a different form of magic. That Jack would share this friendship with him immediately became a prized memory for the Viking. Jamie slowly released him and stood back a little. He turned to Jack and said something.

“Thank you,” Jack slowly replied.

“He doesn't...”

Jack held up a hand and repeated the phrase two more times. Jamie nodded as his mouth silently worked. Then he gazed directly at Hiccup.

“Tdanken Juh,” Jamie said in mangled Hallan.

Hiccup grinned and said: “You're welcome, and there's no way I'm going to try and say that in your language.”

Jack repeated it. Jamie smiled when he heard the response.

“Jack, ask him if he can do me a favor?”

The Guardian did. Jamie's head bobbed in agreement.

“Ask him to watch over you when you here and keep you safe for me... and for him,” Hiccup instructed.

“That's not quite how it works, Hiccup,” the elemental man mumbled.

“Please, just tell him. He'll get it.”

Jack did as requested. When he finished, something like a frown settled on the Earth man's face. His eyes glinted, and he said a single word while inclining his head once. Then he held out a hand.

Hiccup took it, and it appeared as if they sealed a bargain of sorts. Jamie then said something else in a slightly dejected tone. The Viking listened and waited.

“He has to go back home. His wife will be worrying about him by now since he didn't take the car,” Jack explained.

Hiccup squeezed the hand once more, and received the same. Then they let go. In the back of his mind, the Viking savored the fact he knew he made a friend on another world. Although he did not think they would ever see one another again, he chose to believe that friendship would remain intact ever onward. Moreover, Hiccup hoped the brief time they spent together would add something to the relationship between the mortal and the Guardian since Hiccup now felt a protective eye would always be scanning the skies for Jack Frost.

Jamie walked backward until he reached the trees. The man then turned after a final glance, and he noisily made his way into the woods. The remaining three watched him depart in silence. Then, nearly as one, they sighed as the moment became part of history. Hiccup watched Jack stare at the spot where Jamie disappeared into the woods. It became clear the Guardian loved the man, but not in the same way he loved the Hallan. Slowly, it began to dawn on Hiccup that Jack watched Jamie turn from a boy into an adolescent, and then into an adult. Now the adult also added a wife and his own children to the mix. All the while, Jack remained looking like a teenager. How odd, the Viking thought, it must be for them to look at one another and one sees change while the other sees someone literally frozen at a specific age. It made the moment more poignant for many reasons, and Hiccup quickly set it aside lest his emotions get the better of him.

“I understand why you always come back here,” Hiccup said since he still felt the effects of his thinking. “It is where you began... more than once, and so much of who you are is tied to this place.”

Jack nodded and then started floating toward the water. Hiccup and Toothless followed without making a sound. Soon they stood at the edge of the pond. The trio watched as moonlighted glinted off the surface. In many respects if seemed as if someone staged the setting for them.

“Can you imagine, Hiccup?” Jack said in a quiet voice. “He's over forty and he still believes with the same intensity he did when he was eight. He passed it on to his children, you know?”

Hiccup shook his head and then asked: “Can they see you?”

“All children who believe can see me.”

Jack turned his head. A playful smile curled his lips upward. His eyes twinkled, and even in the moonlit world the ice-blue color appeared startling. Hiccup nearly forgot how striking and different one set of eyes could be from another. He grew accustomed to the warm brown eyes of Jack on Halla. Here, on Earth, only Jack Frost the Guardian existed. Hiccup reached out and twined his fingers with Jacks free left hand. The skin felt cool to the touch. Jack, however, eagerly accepted the contact his he clamped onto the Viking's hand. Each became slightly lost in their thoughts.

“So sad,” a dry voice scratched through the night far to their left. “Cold boy and little flyer with little soft man.”

The growl that erupted from Toothless filled the air.

“Damn him,” Jack quietly swore.

They both turned their head. Ten feet away two orange spots came into view followed quickly by the vague outline of Creak. Hiccup felt immediate anger. The crackle of ice forming along the length of Jack's staff mingled with the low continuous warning of the dragon. A half-moon of ice formed at the edge of the pond where Jack stood. The Guardian's feelings did not need any other expression.

“No fear for Pulhu?” The creature asked in a nasty voice.

“What do you want?” Hiccup flung out the question.

“Pulhu wants little flyer to see Pulhu not gone. Cannot be gone, cannot be made gone. Cold boy and Guardians will always fail.”

“How do we fail when every time we make children smile or help them sleep undisturbed, you lose a little more of yourself?” Jack fired back in the same hostile manner.

Creak hissed. Toothless countered it with as menacing a growl as either Hiccup or Jack ever heard the dragon utter. Both hoped the winged beast would not send out a volley of plasma since it would do nothing more than set the forest on fire. Surprisingly, Toothless did not. Hiccup studied the floating, semi-transparent monster and nearly found the figure laughable.

“I can't believe this is all you are,” Hiccup added in a stony voice.

Both Jack and Pulhu looked at him.

“I can't imagine how sad and lonely it's got to be for you that no one wants you around and no one looks forward to seeing you,” the Viking stated. “Even just the memory of Jack and the other Guardians is enough to keep you at bay. You say they'll always fail. Really? They don't even have to be there to beat you.”

In the blink of an eye Creak flew forward. Toothless roared. Hiccup, however, neither flinched nor quavered. He reached down with a hand to soothe his best winged friend who he felt tense and prepare for an attack. Creak's dull eyes tried to bore into his. Hiccup, however, did not see anything over which to be afraid. His time spent in the Earth prison gave him true examples of what to really fear.

“You're nothing,” he whispered into the dry odor coming from the mouth of the monster. “You're barely an idea. Surely you saw the man who was just here, and... yet you waited ‘til he left. Did the power of his belief in Jack scare you off or did you realize he has no belief in you?”

Creak raised a hand and drew a line down Hiccup's cheek with a scratchy finger. Hiccup simply blinked. What he felt did not change. Real fear, he told himself, comes from real danger.

“This is why you hate adults and prey on children, and why you hate the Guardians: we can manage fear. You'll never frighten me again, Creak,” said the Viking who suddenly found he did not even feel any true anger but simply a disconcerted annoyance. “You're just part of a bad dream that doesn't mean anything.”

The misshapen creature snarled at him but backed away and grunted: “Pulhu never dies!”

“Maybe you should,” Jack slowly said. “How long have you been alive and what do you have to show for it? Nothing... and you're not even put together very well.”

“Pulhu never dies!” The gangling monster yelled again.

“But you're not really alive, either,” the Guardian countered. “You could say the same for me, I guess, but... Hiccup is right. You waited for Jamie to leave. How is it he forgot all about you, the bump in the night, and yet he'll walk through the woods at night just so see me and say hello? Jamie cares about me... Creak...”

“Pulhu!” The monster born of terror in the night yelled at him.

Jack laughed. His voice rang out into the air like a clarion. It even surprised the two Hallans a bit. Suddenly a snowball whizzed through the air and passed through the head of Creak. The creature shrieked at him again. Yet it did not sound frightening to any standing beside the pond. It sounded angry in its desperation, but it lacked power.

“No one cares about you, and everyone looks forward to the day when they can forget about you. You're as pathetic as Pitch Black,” concluded the Guardian.

Creak screamed at Jack again.

“Toothless, echo,” Hiccup ordered.

The night fury opened its mouth, and a wave of thin modulated plasma emerged. When it passed through the being made of fear, the insubstantial body undulated. Creak howled at them in an unrecognizable language. It promptly vanished.

“You do realize it probably wasn't the blast that drove him away?” Jack inquired, but it sounded mocking.

“I did it to prove a point,” the Viking replied with a shrug.

“I think he got it.”

Hiccup and Jack then grinned at each other. A stray thought rambled through the Viking's mind.

“You better warn Jamie about Creak. He might seek vengeance after all this... and Jamie and his family could be a target,” he suggested.

Jack shook his head, making his spiky white hair drift back and forth, and replied: “Oh, Creak would make a huge mistake going there. Don't forget Jamie stood up to Pitch Black, and I hardly think something like Creak is going to frighten him. I'm willing to bet Creak stays far, far away from that house.”

Just then a hole opened in the ground a few feet away and Bunny shot out of it with Toothania fast on his heels. The two Guardians danced around as though fighting. They gradually stopped.

“Where'd the bugger go?” Bunny gruffly asked.

“Hiccup and Toothless scared him off,” Jack said.

“I did not,” Hiccup refuted.

“Ah, yes, you did, Hiccup. He left because he couldn't get what he wanted from you and, if I recall correctly, a certain dragon seemed more than willing to take him on.”

“Oh, I wish I could've seen that!” Toothania bemoaned. “Was it a fierce fight? Did Toothless use... tooth and claw against Creak or hit him with that blue fire?”

“No... well, he did use an echo shot, but what we really did was simply refuse to be afraid of Creak,” Hiccup rejoined and try to make it sound as inconsequential as it seemed in his mind.

Bunny stood with his hands perched on his hips, boomerangs grasped in each fist, and gave an approving snort before he said: “Way to go, Hiccup. Not even a month here, fresh out being held captive, and you're taking the dark forces of Earth. You could be right handy around here, mate!”

“Thanks, but I'm really needed back home!”

“Show me your teeth,” Toothania's voice came from the side where she hovered and held Toothless' head in her hands. The dragon answered and slight hissing sound emerged as his teeth slid out. “Oh! That is so precious! They're so white! Ugh, I love these teeth!”

Toothless warbled in a pleased manner at the rampant glee of the Tooth Fairy.

“You're going to wear them out if you keep asking him to do that all the time!” Bunny complained at his compatriot.

“Toothless doesn't mind,” Toothania cooed at the dragon and to taunt the Pooka. She waggled the black, large, square head in her hands. “Do you, Toothless?”

The dragon's teeth disappeared and reappeared in rapid succession.

“Uh! I wish I could do that!” The being clothed in blue, emerald, and turquoise feathers squealed.

Jack started snickering. Baby Tooth, who arrived in stealth, pressed up against Jack's neck and cheeped several times. The elemental Guardian rolled his eyes.

“What'd she say?” Hiccup prodded.

“That her mistress has a one track mind,” Jack replied.

“Got that right,” Bunny mumbled. “Surprised your dragon doesn't bite her hands off.”

“He really likes her, so that's never going to happen,” the Viking stated what everyone could clearly see.

Toothania and Toothless mumbled back and forth at each other as though engaged in a conversation. Given the nature of the Guardian, Hiccup ponder, it could very well be a real one. He smiled. The last several days did much to restore his spirits after his long, frightening confinement. Hiccup could not quite forget that Earth held dangers far surpassing those on Halla. His main worries at home usually focused on highly deranged and erratic Vikings or wayward antagonistic dragons that cropped up from time to time. Seeing the ease with which Toothless interacted with the Guardians gave him hope for the people of Earth no matter how much they tried to kill each other.

A short while later Hiccup found himself in agreement with Jack and Nick that the Pooka's transport tunnels did not provide a fun way to travel. It felt cramped as they ran and slid through the strange portal that turned a journey of thousands of miles into hundreds of feet. They arrived at the North Pole, and surprised both elf and yeti when the dragon flew out of the hole. Toothless hovered back-winging in the air and grumbled at the transport tunnel as the Guardians and Hallan emerged.

“Oh, come off it,” Bunny grumbled right back at the dragon. “It's not that bad, and I bet you never heard of anyone falling to their death from a tunnel, eh?”

“No, but you never heard of anyone getting crushed by falling dirt in the middle the sky, either,” Goorah said since she happened to be holding watch over monitor globe.

Jack burst out laughing, and it took a while before he could force out a translation. All except the Pooka found the statement funny. In the manner of the yeti, Goorah acted as though she said nothing uproarious, but few could miss the glint in her eye. Then she said something to Jack, causing him to loose merriment, and sputter.

“But that's in the middle of the day?” He responded to her in his native tongue.

“What is?” Toothania inquired first.

“Full moon happens just after two tomorrow, and it won't even be on this side of the planet,” Jack answered.

“We're at the North Pole, so does it really matter?” Bunny countered.

Hiccup swung his head back and forth. Before Jack could protest, he spoke up: “What's the big deal?”

“The Man in the Moon is at full power at the onset of the full moon, so if he's going to send you back, that would be the best time,” the giant rabbit answer responded instead of Jack.

“Okay, but so what? The moon was already full when we got sent here...”

“But Isemaler added his power to it, and that comes from Noro the Sky Dancer. If he charged you up enough to help you pass through a mountain, then that was a lot of additional energy.” While he spoke, Jack floated down and assumed his usual perched position on his staff.

Toothania flew next to him and Bunny stood across. Hiccup stood to the left of Jack and the yeti retained her station at the globe. A small cadre of elves waited for Toothless to descend. When he did, they began climbing all over the night fury. Four sets of eyes witnessed the localized chaos as the elves fought for the prized spot just behind head crown. Toothless, magnanimous beyond imagination, never dislodged the small people as they engaged in a melee.

“Tell you what,” Bunny resumed speaking when Jack did not and fiddled with his bandolier. “Have your morning nosh here and come by the Warren when you're done. The Man on the Moon will be overhead at my place... more or less, so it'd be a prime time to send you back.”

Goorah said something to Jack, and they waited.

“She said we'd be better off going to the Alps in the afternoon since The Man will be at his height there.”

Bunny frowned at the yeti who did not react.

“Better not take chances. I'd follow what Goorah says,” Toothania supplied her opinion.

“Look, just pick a place, kip back, and get ready for the transfer...”

“It's not that simple, Bunny,” Jack interrupted and sounded thoughtful. He stared down at the huge Guardian sigil embedded in the floor. “I think I need to draw in as much energy as I can when it starts and transfer it to Hiccup and Toothless... so it replicates what happened on Halla. This is going to take timing.”

Hiccup then got treated to another of Jack's bewildering explanations. Only the yeti seemed undaunted by the terms that got tossed around. In the back of his mind, the Viking knew the elemental Guardian would start writing down equations if paper and pencil were at hand. Although he never said the word, Hiccup felt certain Jack wanted to sling the term quantum around. It became subtly clear Jack provided a much needed bridge between the other Guardians and the modern era on Earth. He embraced the new with a staggering ease. It also went a long way in explaining why the elemental young man never succumbed to panic when he first arrived on Halla.

“So have dinner with us here while we have breakfast, and then we'll head out to Switzerland around two in the afternoon,” Jack finalized the plan.

Bunny still looked upset.

“You wanted him to see the Warren, didn't you?” Toothania guessed.

Bunny looked away from her.

“He didn't get to see the Tooth Palace either.”

“Wait, wait, wait... hold on,” Hiccup sputtered in obvious disbelief. “You mean to say you have an entire palace made out of teeth? That's... disgusting!”

The Guardians and the yetis started to chuckle.

“No,” Toothania said through her laugh. “That'd be dangerous as well as disgusting. Baby teeth have a lot of inherent magic in them. Everything a child ever believes kind of takes root...

“Ha, ha,” Bunny sarcastically rejoined.

“All right, bad pun, but we couldn't leave all that magic exposed for anyone to use. No, we keep the memories of each child safe within their own little vault, neatly organized, until the magic and memories naturally leak out of them.”

“It's like radioactive decay,” Jack said. Bunny, Hiccup, and Toothania glared at him. “Well, it is.”

“Go ahead, say it. I know you want to, so just go ahead and do it already,” Hiccup mockingly but lovingly prodded Jack.

“Say what?” Bunny queried.

“He wants to use the word quantum so bad it's killing him.”

Jack's face turned ruby-red. His colleagues started snickering, and Hiccup smiled at his mate with pure affection. Jack hopped down from his staff directly in front of the Viking. The two fixed their eyes on one another. Hiccup felt his cheeks and neck heat up in reaction.

“You think you're so funny,” the pale young-looking man said.

“Oh, I don't have to think it.”

“Quantum.”

“I knew it,” Hiccup burbled with mirth. “Just couldn't wait, huh?”

Jack then leaned forward and silenced whatever else Hiccup intended to say with a sound kiss. He gradually slid his arms around the leanly muscled chest buried beneath the leather flight armor. Hiccup fell under the power of the embrace and greedily returned it. The two stood locked together as if fused.

“They look so cute,” Toothania said in a tender voice.

“Sure, sweeter than Easter candy,” Bunny remarked.

No one heard any sarcasm in his tone.


	17. Chapter 17

By the time Hiccup and Jack left Jack's room the next morning, the yeti confirmed his speculations about what needed to happen to make certain the transference to Halla occurred. During breakfast Nicholas Saint North reported his friends and staff calculated the findings based on Jack's initial supposition. Hiccup wolfed down the food while he listened and felt his mind spin as concepts and theories got tossed around like confetti. Off to one side, the elves delighted themselves with throwing freshly caught fish to the dragon. Why on Earth Toothless endured the elves remained a mystery to everyone, and even the finely honed physics of Jack and the yeti could not offer an explanation. By the time the meal ended, Hiccup left it up to Jack to know when and where they needed to be in order to return to Halla.

“Well, my young friend,” Nick said to the Viking as he rose from the table. “I don't know what excitement we will find to replace you. This is a momentous occasion for us.”

Hiccup shrugged. He did not quite feel the same.

“Ah, but for you not so much fun, eh?”

“You could say that,” he replied while Nick walked around the table and Jack eyed his mentor with keen interest.

“But now you know so much more about Jack and what makes him a Guardian, no?” Nick inquired, and the rise in tenor of his voice indicated he meant much more than the simple words suggested.

“I suppose so, but... maybe there was an easier way.”

Nick heartily laughed and slapped Hiccup roughly on the back as he approached. The Viking stumbled forward. During his time at the North Pole, Hiccup revised his assessment of Nicholas Saint North, the man the planet Earth called Santa Claus: he now considered him a mix between Stoick the Vast and Gobber. Either way, he mused, Hiccup felt completely safe within the man's presence. His very personality seemed to form a wall of protection while simultaneously making the world seem bright and exciting. The Viking did not need his mate to tell him vast energies rolled effortlessly off Nick: he felt it intensely throughout the fortress.

“Ah, perhaps, but what an adventure, no?” Nick questioned him and the twinkle in his eyes seemed infectious.

“Oh, it was an adventure alright,” Hiccup sardonically agreed.

He saw Jack roll his eyes in reaction.

“But think on this, young Hiccup. When you are home, safe...”

“With the skrill,” Jack added for good measure.

“With... what is skrill?” Their host inquired.

“Never mind. What were you saying,” Hiccup managed to say in an effort to curtail Jack's sneaky ploy.

“When you are safely home, some day you will look back on this and maybe see this was not so bad after all,” Nick continued and gave the impression he understood what Jack tried to do. “You learned many things – no? – and learning is always good.”

“I suppose.”

“Da, da, and then you can tell yourself: I, Hiccup of Halla, went to another world and met all sorts there... some very good and some not so much. And there I proved to myself maybe I am made of stronger stuff than even I can know.”

It took a few seconds for Hiccup to sort through the slightly skewed context. When he did, the Viking got another example of why Jack and the others looked to the man for leadership. Even though Nick still wore bruises from his time spent in the prison, his spirit remained unbroken and, if possible, brighter in response. Therein lay the lesson Hiccup realized he needed to learn, and it impressed him to no end.

“That is something to think about,” Hiccup replied in all sincerity.

“That is all we can hope for you to do,” Nick quietly replied.

They walked out of Nick's private chambers into the organized madness of the central hub. Elves tried to cling to Toothless, but he shrugged them as though shedding scales. They followed in his wake, the bells on their outfits clanging gently as they did. Around three men and the dragon yeti busied themselves on the multiple levels crafting gadgets and toys for the one day when Nick defied all laws of physics. Hiccup realized he would never be able to properly explain what he experienced and saw to those on his home world. Sometimes believing did require seeing.

“I know you keep telling me not to, but I can't thank you enough for everything you did for me, Nick,” Hiccup said as they neared the world monitor.

“This you may not believe, Hiccup, but knowing you are thankful is enough,” Nick replied and laid a hand gently on his shoulder. “When you are home remember that giving to others without any expectation of thanks is true giving. When you do this, what you get in return is worth more many times over.”

The Viking nodded. He already learned from his father, mother, Gobber, most of his friends, and many in his clan that devotion, loyalty, and respect could not be bought. It came from that willingness to give when it reached an instinctual level. The man of the North Pole leaned his head closer while Hiccup thought.

He whispered: “Jack says you are leader who does not want to be a leader.”

“Yeah, that's kind of true,” Hiccup answered and threw a look at Jack who found something very interesting to stare at on the floor. “You really need to know my people to understand why.”

“People are people no matter what size or shape them come in. Look around here.”

The young Hallan man could not deny the personhood of the yeti, but doubts about the elves persisted. He spied them gamboling about Toothless who, more or less, valiantly ignored their antics. Then Bunny came to mind, as well as Toothania and the Sandman: people all in their own rights. He glanced back at Nick.

“Leadership is not about leading,” Nick said.

“It's not?” Hiccup queried in confusion.

“No, leadership is about giving people what they need when they need it even if they don't know they need it or maybe even try to refuse it. The leader is wise enough to see that need comes before wants and knows the difference between the two.”

“Are you sure you don't know Gobber or my father?”

“I take this as big compliment from you.”

“It's huge,” Jack said from the side where he still acted like a glittering nothing on the floor occupied his entire attention span.

“Let me ask you this,” Nick said and stared Hiccup right in the eye. “Are you afraid of being leader?”

Hiccup opened his mouth and nothing came out.

“Oh, my young friend, fear is sneaky. You've seen Creak, so this you know is true, da?”

The Viking nodded and found he could not look away from Santa.

“Maybe it is fear you let your people down or make wrong choice, no?” The man called Santa pressed on.

“A little,” Hiccup whispered. “One time when I made a wrong decision, they started killing each other.”

“Not your fault, Hiccup. That was their own fear taking over,” Jack instantly countered.

“But you take their mistake as your own? Now why is this?” The large man asked without any inflection in his voice to give away his intent.

A few feet away the tinkling of bells from the scrum the elves formed in front of Toothless distracted him for a moment. The dragon watched and Hiccup thought he saw amusement on the ebony face. He could not see over what or why the tiny beings started fighting. It seemed part of their nature. Hiccup looked back to Nick.

“Because... ‘cause... maybe... maybe if I'd been better... or did a better job they wouldn't... no war would've broken out. People wouldn't... and dragons... so many died, Nick,” the young Viking man said, and the plea came from his eyes.

Nicholas gently rocked Hiccup's shoulder with one hand. A small, sad smile crossed the bearded face. Then he said: “Terrible thing, da, because you love your people and dragons. Love, Hiccup, powerful love is a blessing and a curse. I think you know this.”

“I really wish you could meet my mom,” Hiccup said in a distant voice. “She paid a price for that, too.”

“Then all you need to know is all around you.”

Nick then placed his left free hand on Hiccup's other shoulder. The Viking stared into the sparkling orbs in the man's face. He saw such certainty there he could not imagine from where it originated. At the same, Nick's magic rolled through him. Wonder, he thought, the Spirit of Wonder.

“Do not fear who and what you are, Hiccup. Let it guide you. Let it lead you, and maybe others will see it's a good place you go and want to go with you. Da?” Nick said and let the question hang in the air.

“Lot to think about,” Hiccup conceded.

“Then start there,” the man told him with complete conviction and optimism. “And think also maybe you coming here is not so much a bad accident as a lucky chance.”

Hiccup lifted his shoulders and said: “Well, I did get to meet you and the other Guardians, and that's pretty good... and I picked up some ideas from the yeti 'bout Toothless' tail piece. Plus... you do know he's a giant rabbit, right?”

Nick grinned, and Jack snorted. The largest of the three men let go of the Viking and his hands cradle his belly as he started to laugh. After a few seconds his gleaming eyes settled again on the Hiccup, and he said: “Bunny is... okay, he is giant bunny, as were all his people. You know what Bunny's strength is?”

“He's the Spirit of Hope.”

“Da, but nyet,” the large man said and waved a hand as if to brush the idea aside. “Bunny's strength is that no matter how bad things seem, he always believes there's a way through it... and he finds it.”

Despite what charged through his mind first, Hiccup's eyes went wide.

“And remember this, my friend, there is a little of each Guardian in all of us... in you.”

“Some more than others,” Jack said with a laugh.

Both Hiccup and Nick turned to scowl at the smirking Spirit of Fun.

“And when you get that one home,” Nick said with a warning note in his voice.

“Oh, trust me, I have plans for him!”

Hiccup then put on his most evil of grins, and Jack's face turned scarlet. Nick burst out laughing again, and the slapped Hiccup on the back. Once more the Viking stumbled forward from the impact. As he righted himself, the youngest of the Guardians floated toward them.

“Coming with us to the Alps, Nick?” Jack asked, and a note of entreaty edged his words.

“No, many things to do here,” Nick declined the offer, “and, besides, the reindeer don't do so well on the sides of mountains. You know we have problems in the Andes, Steppes, and places like that.”

Jack did not do a good job hiding his smirk.

“Still going to Bunny's hole in the ground?” The man inquired.

“Toothania and Sandy are meeting us there in a little while,” the elemental Guardian stated.

Santa Clauses turned and regarded the Hallan for a moment. Quickly thereafter the world disappeared from view as the man engulfed Hiccup in a massive, tight hug. Hiccup could not even fit his arms entirely around the burly chest of Nick.

“So here we come to the part we say good-bye,” Nick quietly told him, and the words rumbled through his chest. “You are most amazing young man, Hiccup. Our Jack did well to find you.”

Hiccup responded, but even he did not understand the words that got muffled in the thick cotton shirt of Nicholas Saint North that nearly smothered his face.

“Da, da. Good-byes are never easy.”

The man squeezed tighter and Hiccup found himself in want of breath.

“But never forget if you ever come back, you and Toothless will always have a place with us. We will take care of you,” Nick said and emotion clearly nuanced his words.

“Tanks,” Hiccup managed to say.

The man released him from the crushing embrace and held him at arm's length. Blue eyes met green. Hiccup could not avoid the sense of awe he felt in the presence of Nick. It made the world seem all the more magical. Then he fully let go of Hiccup. The master of the North Pole turned to the dragon, walked forward, knocking elves out of the way with his booted foot, and crouched down in front of Toothless. Both Hiccup and Jack watched in fascination as Toothless felt the impact of the man. Nicholas reached out a hand and scratched the underside of the great square jaw of the dragon. Although they never went through the trust ritual, Toothless accepted the caress as if it came from a longtime friend.

“You are most wondrous to me, Toothless,” Nick said in a kind voice. “So much power in one body, and yet... so fiercely gentle. You and your man are good team. Fly him safely home, and know you will never be forgotten here.”

Toothless warbled in a fully contented manner as his yellow-green eyes got reduced to slits by drooping eyelids. Nick chuckled. He patted the underside of the chin, after which he stood. The elves formed a small semi-circle and glanced up at their Guardian. A pleading look filled their eyes. The bearded man grinned.

“Nyet, you cannot keep him. He doesn't belong to you,” Nick said and did little to conceal his laugh.

As one, the elves frowned while shifting their gaze from Nick to Toothless to Hiccup. The bells at the top of their odd outfits let loose with a tinkling sound. In their own way, they added to the overall charm of the North Pole.

“Toothless doesn't belong to anyone,” Hiccup added while studying them. “I don't make him stay with me, Nick. It's his choice.”

“As if he had one,” the man grunted the reply through a guffaw. “Love ties us together, Hiccup, and stronger than any chain.”

His blue eyes subtly shifted between the two younger men.

“What is he like as a mortal?” Nick inquired.

“Strangely enough, not that much different, except for the brown hair and brown eyes,” Hiccup replied with half a shrug. “Oh, and he can't fly or freeze me to death.”

Jack threw an elbow into his side. The Viking let out with a small puff of expelled air.

“And what is new Jack Frost like?” The man continued.

Before Hiccup could reply, Jack said: “Remember me back in eighteen-twenty-three? Well, that's Grimtooth... er, Isemaler.”

“Halla in for world of trouble then,” Nick remarked and a broad smile crept across his face. “See you tomorrow, Jack Frost.”

“In a month, Nicholas Saint North,” Jack said with a smirk.

“Nick, for everything, th...” Hiccup began to say.

“No need, Hiccup,” Santa interjected. “One more thing you should know about giving: when we truly give, we also give to ourselves. What we did for you we did for you because we wanted to and it was right, but... we also do for ourselves and Jack. Real giving always big knot of many ribbons, involving lots of people, you cannot untangle.”

Nick then winked.

“Got it,” Hiccup rejoined, and he did indeed understand.

Without another word, Nick turned and started walking toward his planning room. Several yeti sidled up next to him, and their strange muffled language rolled through the air. Just like that, business as usual resumed in the North Pole. Hiccup did not feel ignored or slighted in the least. Nick already said it: good-byes never came easy.

“He really likes you,” Jack quietly told him.

“Feeling's mutual,” Hiccup replied with a thick voice.

With that they silently headed for the wide stairwell that ran along the outer wall of the central hub. Toothless trotted after him followed by several dejected looking elves. The group began walking down. 

“Any idea yet why the elves are so fascinated by Toothless?” The Viking inquired.

“That question may never be answered,” Jack said and shook his head. “They are strange little folk. I'm still trying to figure out how they make things explode that, let's be honest, really shouldn't be able to.”

“Magic?”

“As good an explanation as any.”

The Earthling and the Hallan started laughing as they continued their descent. Toothless kept pace, although anyone watching could see he clearly wanted to fly. His metal trail fin clicked occasionally against stone steps. The elves brought up the rear of the train, pushing and shoving one another out of the way in their desire to get closer to the dragon.

A couple of hours passed before an exuberant dragon soared effortlessly through the air over Australia at Mach two. One of the yeti used a transport globe to send them to just outside Sydney. From there and at their current speed, it would take less than an hour to get to Uluru. Jack only made them translucent instead of invisible as he funneled gargantuan amounts of energy into the winged beast. In the back of his mind, Jack privately giggled at the notion he might be responsible for a whole new slew of UFO reports. He flew alongside Toothless with one hand always touching. The Guardian peeked at the Viking. Hiccup did not look down. He gripped the handholds of the yeti-made saddle as strongly as he could. Although he could not feel any winds or any real sense of motion, the clouds sailing past them at such an unimaginable speed made him dizzy. Why the dragon so loved the accelerated flight remained as much of a mystery as the elves' love of the beast. Instead of focusing on the speed, Hiccup decided to watch the land below since the surroundings proved almost as surreal as their mode of travel.

The amount of arid land one could easily see under the Australian night illuminated by a full moon stunned the dragon rider. All his life he knew the world to be filled with oceans, but this almost defied his imagination. While patches of thin forest passed under them, a largely rocky landscape stretched as far as the eye could see. In many regards Hiccup missed the turbulent and vast seas. However, that did not strike him as the most odd and unsettling aspect. No matter where the Viking set his eyes, he could find no trace of a single dragon save the one he rode. It never fully dawned on him before that dragons populated Hallan air, land, and sea both day and night. More than anything, it proved Earth to be a different place. The absence of the creatures created a strange longing to be home.

“Aim for that mountain over there,” Jack instructed him a short while later.

“That's a mountain?” Hiccup yelled back because flying always required it. However, his voice sounded extraordinarily loud because no howl of wind filled his ears. It proved slightly disorienting.

“Well, it was... a long time ago, and I mean a long, long time ago.”

In the distance and fast approaching sat a hummock of mountain. Under the hugely open sky populated by an uncountable number of stars, configurations totally foreign to the Viking, and the full moon, Uluru gave off a somewhat ruddy glow. Scrub grass and the periodic tree dusted the ground. Uluru, however, sat like a back of a sleeping giant curled on the ground. Soon it lay several hundred feet beneath them as Hiccup made Toothless bank into a wide circle. Jack began to scale back the amount of power he flooded into the dragon. They slowed, eventually reaching normal flight speed. Then the trio became solid and the weight of the atmosphere immediately began to press against them. Toothless grumbled in protest at the change.

“Did poor widdle fwying Boo want to keep using the Guardian magic?” Hiccup teased.

In response, Toothless performed an unannounced aerial corkscrew. Hiccup threw himself against the dragon even though he sat completely strapped in. Toothless let out with his rippling grunt of a laugh.

“Oh, you just wait until we get back home, young... dragon... ling,” the Viking attempted to sound threatening, but entirely failed.

“It looks like he's addicted to speed flying,” Jack said as he flew up and next to his mate. “Think he understands yet I can't do this once we get back to Halla?”

“No, but when he does, you know he's going to start pestering Isemaler,” Hiccup replied in a louder voice now that the routine acoustics during flight returned.

Jack stared at his mate while a wicked smile crossed his lips. Seconds later, Hiccup responded in kind. Then they glanced in unison at Toothless. Jack started to open his mouth.

“Don't even think about warning him,” Hiccup mischievously cautioned.

“You're the boss on this one,” Jack gamely rejoined. Then his head twisted from side to side and he said: “Fly lower toward the ground. We're looking for a waterfall canyon with a single rock that looks like a sentinel next to some trees.”

“A sentinel?”

“An egg-shaped rock sticking up from the ground. Bunny said we can't miss it, and all I have to do is knock four times on it.”

“And you're the boss now,” Hiccup dryly stated, but he did so through a smile.

It took half an hour of concerted searching for them to find the location. Hiccup freely admitted riding a-dragon back made the task much easier. His sharp eye for detail found the stone before Jack noticed. The Viking pointed it out, and they sailed to it.

“Don't land,” Jack quickly ordered moments before Toothless prepared to do so. Both the dragon and the rider looked to him for an explanation. “We don't want to leave night fury claw prints around the place. Let me get the tunnel open first.”

Jack floated down to the egg-shaped rock, and Hiccup could think of no other way to describe it. The Guardian knocked on it four times. Five seconds later, a hole opened in the ground to the left of the rock. Jack aimed his face toward it.

“Make it bigger so Toothless can fly in!” He yelled.

Five more seconds later, it expanded to three times the size and could easily accommodate the dragon. Flying in caves and tunnels did not present a new situation, and Toothless nonchalantly flew over to and lowered himself into the opening. After about fifteen feet, an elbow in the tunnel turned it from a vertical path into a horizontal one. Jack and Hiccup on Toothless flew onward for a little over four hundred feet. When they emerged, both Hallans paused while their mouths flopped open.

“I know: awe inspiring,” Jack reverently said.

“How...? This is... how?” Hiccup mumbled as he craned his neck in a half-circle trying to take it in.

The enormous underground cave sprawled out on either side, but any similarity to other caves ended there. It reminded Hiccup more of the island crevice he found where he once planned to make a new home. Flowers, grass, and trees covered the floor. A small creek with several branches ran from one side to the other, and a number of small bridges forded it. The stream emerged from one of the side tunnels that dotted the walls. Hills rose and fell, also covered by greenery. A soft, warm glow like the sun on a spring day shone from the roof of the cavern high overhead. Spread generously throughout the cave were moss-covered stones that looked like eggs with faces and designs carved into them. Hiccup returned his stunned gaze to his mate.

“Between the North Pole, the Warren, and the Tooth Palace...,” Jack told him and tapered off into an awed silence. “They're amazing places.”

“Well, at least you can admit that much, kid,” Bunny said from below where he arrived unnoticed. “Welcome to the Warren, Hiccup! Toothless, land wherever you like.”

Using his knees, the Viking directed the dragon to a small hill topped by a thatch of green, thick grass. Toothless silently landed. When Hiccup unbuckled and slid from the saddle, his feet sank into the luxurious natural carpet. Gradually, he noticed the air smelled clean and carried a mix of flower fragrances. No springtime on Halla ever looked as lush or vibrant. His senses popped and sparked as he tried to take it all in.

“It's a beaut, ain't she?” Bunny asked as he walked up and Jack floated over to them.

“I... can't... no words, Bunny. This is... astounding!” Hiccup burbled.

The Pooka grinned in delight.

“You do realize you've doomed me to his boasting for the next hundred years?” Jack inquired with customary sarcasm.

“You're just jealous,” Bunny replied in the same tone.

The two Guardians glared at one another. An outsider could easily overlook the warm camaraderie that lay just underneath the antagonistic exterior. In some regards, it reminded Hiccup of the relationship he used to share with Snotlout until the civil war changed everything. However, instead of feeling bad about one of the outcomes, the Viking immediately began to believe he could find a way to salvage his friendship with Snotlout and possibly return the young man to the skies. He knew his friend would always mourn the loss of Hookfang, yet Hiccup felt hopeful and optimistic a change lay in sight.

“Oh, gods, he's got that... Easter glow,” Jack moaned and rolled his eyes.

“You're darn right he does,” Bunny said with evident pride. “So do you, Jackie boy, so don't go knocking it.”

Jack shook his head, but inwardly he felt exactly what Hiccup experienced. Any time spent in the Warren, even a few seconds, filled a person with a boundless sense of hope and renewal. Given what his object of affection suffered on Earth, Jack wanted Hiccup to literally get besotted with the power of the Spirit of Hope. He watched as the Hallan breathed deeply and stared at the beauty of the Warren. As if to cap the effect, Toothless exhaled a long, long sigh of relief.

“There you go, mate. Let out it and take it in,” the Pooka exhorted the dragon. “Nothing a short while spent here can't fix.”

“Gods, I forgot about your magic,” Hiccup exclaimed as if suddenly coming to his sense.

“No, Hiccup, it's real,” Jack retorted.

“All it does is make you remember nothing is hopeless and encourages you to find a way through your problems: not around it, not ignoring them, but finding solutions you haven't thought of before. That's the power of hope,” Bunny said in a firm but friendly manner.

“So you're saying this won't wear off once I leave?”

“As long as you believe, Hiccup, it'll stay with you.”

Jack nodded his head.

“Kind of hard not to believe when I wake up next to a Guardian every morning,” Hiccup rejoined and smirked.

“That's the spirit!'

“Ugh!” Jack grunted and then laughed.

“Jealous I beat you to the pun?” The giant rabbit inquired in a half-growl.

“Actually... yes.”

Jack and Bunny then began to laugh both at themselves and one another. Hiccup found he could not stop the foolish grin that settled on his lips as he watched their interaction. He could feel Jack's playful spirit mixing with that of the Pooka, and the two heightened each other. The forces worked in tandem and not in opposition. A new notion sparked in the Viking's head: the reinforcing nature of their powers meant the five Guardians together made them formidable beyond belief. At the same instant, he realized it came as no accident. Immediately afterward, Hiccup began to reevaluate his expectations and relationship with Isemaler on Halla.

“Hiccup?” Jack quietly said his name.

“Just thinking,” the Viking replied.

“This place will do it that to you,” Bunny quipped. “But and as good as that is, I've got a late spread I need to set out for the others. I know you two probably already had a bit of something. What about Toothless?”

“The elves stuffed him with fish,” Hiccup replied, but still thoughtful.

“Strange little buggers those elves are. Can't quite get a bead on them.”

“Who can?” Jack joined in the sentiment.

“Toothless trusts them, so they can't be that bad,” the Viking stated.

Both Jack and Bunny nodded in agreement.

“Well, something to think about at any rate, but come on and give me a hand. Sandy and Tooth should be here in a little bit,” their host told them.

As Hiccup walked next to the Pooka, the unusualness of his surroundings continually knocked on his brain. First and foremost, E Aster Bunnymund rivaled the strangest of creatures he ever met. He looked up and took stock of the fact the rabbit stood at least seven feet tall. Bunny moved with a natural grace, and he also exuded a sense of complete command over his entire form. The Viking recalled both Jack and Nick referred to the Pooka as a real warrior. Hiccup did not doubt that the more he examined the Bunny. In fact, Hiccup saw every reason to want to avoid a physical confrontation with the being at almost any cost. His ruminations got cut off as they walked up a path.

“Home sweet home,” Bunny said in a wistful voice.

Their host led them to an ovoid-shaped door. Next to it sat several oval windows. Hiccup began to suspect a theme at play or perhaps a natural inclination of the Pooka. What truly caught his eye came in the form of the way light glinted on the surface of the wall where the door resided. Bunny led them to the door, and, as they passed through the entry, he let his fingers brush the wall.

“Wait, wait, wait!” He barked. “Is this glass?”

“More or less,” Bunny answered and sounded droll about it. “Pretty strong stuff once you know how to work with it.”

“Gobber would have fits to see this,” Hiccup mumbled while touching the wall.

Jack pushed past him and said: “Told you this place is remarkable.”

Hiccup could not even form a reply as his mate pushed him inside and he stared at the interior. While the furniture appeared to be made mostly of wood, and every bit of it took on the same oblong dimensions, the Viking remained fixated on the glass walls. Glass tended to be rare in Berk, although less so since befriending the dragons, and a prized commodity by those who owned glassware or window panes. Dragon fire could be used to melt sand into glass, but few braved the burns that came when working with the molten substance. Thus, Hiccup could not imagine what it took to create the Pooka's home.

“Right!” Bunny's voice called out. “We've got lots of greens and carrots and beans... some peppers and cukes...”

“Cukes?” Hiccup repeated the word as his attention got diverted.

“Cucumbers,” Jack stated.

Hiccup blinked and waited.

“Ah, that's right: you don't have these on Berk,” Jack responded to the expression. “C'mere and try some. I think you'll like it.”

Thus, Hiccup got introduced to a whole set of vegetables he could scarcely imagine. He fancied the yellow and red peppers with the interesting flavors that tantalized the tongue. The cucumbers possessed a light, nearly fragrant taste that left his mouth feeling clean. The stuff called celery made him wince. He liked the crunch and snap of the stalks, but the flavor ran toward the bitter side in his mind. More than anything, he found the array surprisingly diverse compared to the meat heavy offerings at Nick's table. After finishing the arrangement of the vegetables, including the very hot tasting radishes, they started to set out plates and cups, each piece made of green glass with stripes of yellow running throughout. All in all, Hiccup thought it looked like springtime on a table.

“Not bad,” Bunny hummed.

Something dark zoomed past the windows.

“What the...?” The Pooka said and darted for the door.

The three stumbled outside to find Toothless engaged in race with the Sandman and the Tooth Fairy. Toothania hooted and laughed as she sped along in front of the other two while they banked into a continual wide turn. Even from a distance Hiccup could see the determined expression on the dragon's face while trying to catch up to the Tooth Fairy. Toothania bobbed and darted like a humming bird at a dizzying speed. In between, the Sandman on a golden cloud tried to block the dragon from passing, yet he also showed no ability to catch the feathered Guardian. Round and round the Pooka's cavern, darting between trees, the three carried out their break-neck sprint. On the fourth circuit, Toothless managed to pass Sandy in a deft display of aerial acrobatics. The Viking felt a surge of pride for his winged best friend. Try as the Sandman might, he could overcome the maneuverability of the dragon even though he possessed greater speed. However, neither stood a chance against the Tooth Fairy.

“Yay for me!” Toothania crowed when the racers completed a fifth pass.

Both the Sandy and Toothless flew willy-nilly to the point they designated as the finish line. Toothless barely edged out the little Guardian. The dragon then circled back and landed in front of rider. Hiccup jogged out the panting beast.

“You did good, bud! Nice trick with the trees,” he congratulated his dragon.

Toothless warbled, but eyed Toothania. Even Jack could see the competitive spirit of the jet creature got roused. The Tooth Fairy and the Sandman drifted down to join the rest of the company. A small frowning face made of sand hovered over Sandy's head. Toothania immediately deposited herself in front of Toothless and took the scaled head in her hands.

“Who's the fastest dragon on Earth?” She cooed at him. “Toothless is. Toothless is the fastest!”

“Oh, brother,” Bunny muttered.

“You are so skilled in flying! So fast and so skilled!” Toothania continued to lavish praise on the dragon that began to rock back and forth in excitement.

Hiccup glanced around and saw the other Guardians smirking at their colleague's display. Toothless, for his part, ate it up like someone starved him for attention. He smiled and basked in the moment.

“You'd think you never praised him,” Jack said on the sly, mirroring Hiccup's thoughts. “And how did he get the tail to work on his own. That was some tight flying.”

Hiccup's eyes went wide and he turned to face his mate. Even Jack looked surprised by the sudden revelation. They then stared at the tail piece. The control armature remained connected to the foot lock. Bit by bit they examined it in unison.

“You don't think the yeti...?” Hiccup rolled out with half the question.

“I think they did,” Jack replied. “Look at what happens when he swings his tail and lifts it up and down!”

Sure enough, the configuration of the replacement fin changed as Toothless' tail moved, and it mimicked the live side. It appeared the bracing, clamps, and linkage proved far cleverer than either suspected. Without asking or even hinting at the need, the yeti returned a high degree of flight autonomy to the dragon. Hiccup found it both marvelous and unsettling. He also mentally kicked himself for having failed to notice over the last couple of days.

“They're geniuses, aren't they?” The Viking rhetorically asked.

“Oh, yeah,” the slender Guardian needlessly answered.

Toothania's fawning removed the sting of the loss from the dragon. Toothless danced around her like he just burst from the shell. His body waggled in glee. Even Sandy, the third place finisher by a dragon's head length, grinned.

“Is he housebroken?” Bunny asked amid the jubilation and jerked a thumb toward Toothless.

“Shut up,” Jack groaned and chuckled.

Hiccup rolled his eyes at the taunt.

“Right! Grub is on the table, and I'm more than a little peckish. Let's eat!” The rabbit cajoled his compatriots.

Bunny proved as amiable a host a Nick and equally as generous. His guests gathered around the oval table. He provided a space without a chair for Toothless, who sat on his haunches and watched the people eat. Plates got passed, three-tine forks speared the delectable offerings, and only murmured conversation took place. While Jack did not eat, Hiccup dug into the vegetables with gusto, although he avoided the celery. When it came to the drink, he simply stared at the pale, opaque liquid with the same wonder he focused on the hot chocolate at the North Pole.

“What is this?” He whispered.

“Lemonade, mate,” Bunny nonchalantly replied.

Slowly, the other Guardians began to stare at Hallan as he repeatedly sipped the lightly sweetened concoction. Half the quantity disappeared before Hiccup realized he became the center of attention. He lowered the glass and returned the puzzled look.

“What?” He finally asked.

“You don't have lemonade on Halla?” Toothania inquired.

Hiccup shook his head. The Guardians then shifted their collective gaze to Jack. Jack shrugged.

“Winter is just coming to an end, and it's not like I've had much to eat other than salt fish and mutton... and those weird, potatoey, spiky things. Not bad, but not potatoes, either,” the white-haired young-looking man answered.

“How do you make this stuff?” Hiccup asked and stared at the glass in his hand.

Bunny rose from the table, went to his larder, and retrieved a lemon. The presence of the fruit opened a new avenue of discussion. While they ate, three of the four Guardians peppered Hiccup with questions about life on Halla and Berk in particular. While Jack let his mate do most of the talking, he did provide certain details such as the fact the Hallan day and year lasted longer. He also noted the Hallan week possessed eight days. As they talked, it became clear to all, even more so for Hiccup and Jack, that each world took different evolutionary paths. It reinforced in Jack's mind that Earth could not be a parallel version of Halla or vice versa. He silently wondered exactly where in the universe he could find Halla, if it even existed in the same dimension. Thus, his mind got fitfully occupied while Hiccup conversed with the others.

“You've gone quiet, buck-o,” Bunny teased Jack after an hour passed.

“I've got lots of questions now and no easy answers,” Jack told him, “and it involves Hiccup's favorite word.”

Hiccup rolled his eyes while he continued to masticate a radish after deciding he liked the sensation the root bulb produced in his mouth. He spied a question mark, the purpose of which Toothania explained to him, hanging over the Sandman's head. The Viking inclined his head in the direction of the diminutive Guardian.

“Well, for starters, I don't recognize any of the star patterns in the skies over there,” Jack began.

“And I don't recognize the ones here,” Hiccup confirmed.

“And the planet rotates in the opposite direction of Earth...”

“Yeah, do you know how weird it is to see the sun rise in the east? It's like I'm living backward,” the Viking huffed out the words. “Really threw me off when I realized it wasn't sunset but morning.”

“And it's a slightly larger world... not more than five or six percent...”

“How do you know?” Hiccup interrupted.

“Before I got grounded, my body felt heavier whenever I flew... and the staff felt heavier, too. The only way that could happen is if Halla has more mass or at least is denser,” Jack explained. “And you have a stronger magnetic field, too. I think that's why the dragons are so good at knowing their locations... like they have a natural compass in their heads. Plus, your aurora borealis is astounding... and I figure your sun's probably a little larger and more intense... closer to the blue spectrum, but Halla probably orbits further out and the stronger magnetic field helps.”

Hiccup shifted his eyes around looking for sympathy from the others.

“We just let him go when he gets started,” Bunny said in a loud stage whisper.

“Unlike the rest of you who were born before Copernicus and Galileo and Newton, at least I keep up with developments,” Jack fired back.

“Ah, weren't you born around the same time as Newton?” Toothania queried in a carefully and perfectly neutral tone. She then dabbed at her mouth with a napkin.

Jack frowned. Hiccup grinned. He surmised there were teasing him about his actual age.

“That was... when? Back in the middle of the seventeenth century, and we're – what? – in the twenty-first,” Bunny said as though he needed a refresher.

“Ha, ha. Alright, so I'm not really young either,” the elemental young man grumbled.

“How old are you, Bunny?” Hiccup tentatively questioned and wondered if he should.

“Oh, now, well... round ‘bout twelve hundred years, give or take a decade,” the Pooka replied.

Hiccup looked to Toothania.

“Just shy of one thousand, five hundred,” she said and blushed.

“What about Nick?” Hiccup blurted as his mind tried to absorb what it meant to really live that long.

“Eighteen hundred, I think. Right after the first Nicholas died he sort of kept the name going... and worked on the legend...”

“There was another Nicholas?” The Viking incredulously asked.

“I'll explain it later,” Jack interceded. “It's a long, long...”

“And complicated,” Toothania injected.

“Story,” the Spirit of Fun concluded.

Hiccup simply nodded.

“How old are you, squirt?” Bunny asked the Sandman, and his mouth twitched as though trying to conceal a laugh.

Sandy shrugged his shoulders.

“You don't know?” Hiccup asked in disbelief.

A shy smile spread across the sallow face.

“Like you, Sandy came from someplace else,” Toothania told him. “He was called a star captain at one point, and he says it means he used to ride stars around the heavens.”

Sandy vigorously nodded his head.

From that point on for the next half an hour, Hiccup learned some of the histories of the individual Guardians. They did not lead easy lives before they became entrusted with their powers. Toothania continued to wage a battle against those that killed her family. Bunny would only speak in vague terms about the loss of his people, and his demeanor hinted it came in the form of a massacre. The Sandman showed pictures of himself as a lone, and apparently lonely, rider of stars. Then a beautiful face appeared in his dream sand, and he became still. Jack, Toothania, and Bunny each presented different theories about Nicholas Saint North. When asked how they became and formed as the Guardians, the group fell silent. Hiccup glanced around.

“We, um... Hiccup, words have power here, like you've probably noticed,” Jack quietly said. “There are some things we don't openly talk about because... if the wrong person heard and figured out...”

“We've got enemies, mate,” Bunny picked up the thread. “They'd kill to find out some of these stories ‘cause they could use it against us. That's why what you and Jack discovered about Creak is so important: we know more about what he is and that gives us... a certain...”

“Leverage,” Toothania jumped in. “It tells how us how to apply our powers to hold him back. Did Jack tell you about Pitch Black?”

“Some,” Hiccup confessed, “but it's kind of hard to imagine what he told me because nothing like that exists on my world.”

“Prime forces only. Jack told us,” Bunny said with a nod. “There's some who fault The Man in the Moon for fragmenting the powers on Earth, but I personally don't think he did it. I think he's cleaning up someone else's mess.”

“Prove it,” Toothania challenged. “The mazdahs and yazats say they've been fighting against him for eons.”

Hiccup sat back as a strange argument took shape. Jack said very little and sat listening with great interest. Both Bunny and Toothania referenced legends and myths, all of which sounded foreign in Hiccup's ears, but held greater significance to Jack. The youngest Guardian instantly began to memorize names of beings and places that got tossed around. At one point the Spirit of Memories and the Spirit of Hope turned to the Spirit of Dreams. They watched as a complex show took place over the Sandman's head. Even the three talkative Guardians appeared perplexed by the images and scenes that took shape. One in particular held their interest, and especially Jack. It showed Earth from a distance and the small moon that orbited around it. One feature became noticeable to the Jack in a flash.

“Hold on,” he butted into the Sandman's silent narrative. “You're saying the moon used to rotate and it got tidally locked on purpose?”

Sandy nodded his head.

“What's on the dark side?” Bunny cautiously asked.

The Sandman raised his eyebrows once, and then leaned backward. His dream sand images became motionless and dissipated. Bunny and Toothania stared at their comrade.

“It's that bad?” Toothania muttered.

Sandy did not react in any manner. After a few seconds, his eyes settled on Hiccup.

“But he's not even from around here and he's going back,” Bunny protested.

“But we don't know exactly how it happened and if it will happen again,” Jack quietly surmised. “If he learns a key piece of information, it could make him a target. Creak knows he's from another world, and Leiyís'axt could feel the difference without even meeting Hiccup. If Leiyís'axt can sense it, so can others. Sandy's right: we shouldn't be talking about this in front of Hiccup.”

Above the head of the Sandman an image of Hiccup formed. Then an image of Jack took shape. Between them a heart emerged. After a few moments, Hiccup's avatar violently fell apart. The heart broke into pieces, and Jack's sand face looked anguished. The Hallan felt an odd sense of fright. He studied his mate who returned the look with a worried expression.

“You don't think some... thing would really try to get to Halla and kill me to get at Jack, do you?” Hiccup pieced together the meaning of the image. He experienced too many deranged foes in his past to miss the intent.

“What did Drago do to Toothless?” Jack half whispered.

The message sunk home with terrifying speed in the Viking's mind. He wordlessly nodded his understanding of the comparison. The other Guardians watched the exchange.

“I'll...explain tomorrow,” the pale Guardian mumbled.

Hiccup steeled himself and said: “Drago Bludvist used an alpha dragon to control Toothless... and then he used Toothless to try and kill me, but my father... my father put himself between me... and the blast.”

He looked across the table at Toothless. The dragon looked oblivious, but started to react to the obvious distress on his rider's face. He let out with a low rumble.

“It wasn't your fault, bud. You'd never do that on your own. I know you loved Dad, too,” the rider said to his dragon in soothing tones.

“Crikes,” Bunny nearly inaudibly said the word.

“Hiccup, we didn't mean...” Toothania began to apologize and fell quiet at the end.

“No, I'm glad you know, and I'm glad Jack reminded me,” he said while gazing at his mate. “I understand, Jack, and I don't want anything from here getting over there... not while you're mortal. You'll be too easy of a target.”

“And now do you understand why I want... need a dragon of my own?” The elemental Guardian asked in a gruff voice.

“Because they can see what we can't. I get it.”

“And forget the skrill. I don't care what Mo can do, those things are dangerous.”

“Wooly howl?” Hiccup suggested as he accepted the wisdom of the statement.

Jack titled his head to one side and replied: “That'd be appropriate, but, you know, Isemaler is going to be jealous.”

“He can already fly, so he can go get one on his own! Besides, you've got to teach him to control his powers. You know I'm here because of him!” The Viking grunted the words in annoyance.

Three Guardians heads turned back and forth while Hiccup and Jack spoke to each other. The two mates glanced at them, then at one another, and finally smirked in unison.

“Okay, so we were out looking for a dragon for me to ride, and I don't know where he got the brilliant idea to go after a skrill...”

“You said you wanted a fast dragon to keep up with Toothless,” Hiccup snarkily returned.

“Okay, but... anyway, we headed out to the eastern archipelago, and somehow Isemaler found out where we were going,” Jack continued and sighed halfway through.

“He always figures it out!”

With that, Hiccup and Jack launched into the story of how the Viking managed to travel between two worlds. They shared the narrative between them. The other Guardians listened. Gradually, each began to smile as they witnessed the two young men become almost one being.


	18. Chapter 18

Despite their apparent misgivings about using one of the Pooka's travel tunnels, all of the Guardians save Nick journeyed to the Alps. Goorah the yeti calculated exactly when the moon would reach prime fullness. Fifteen minutes before the event, two Hallans and four Earthlings used the extraordinary travel medium to reach the mountains on the other side of the world in less than minute. Fortunately, Bunny remembered to make the tunnel aperture wide enough so Toothless could fly. To distract the others, Hiccup gave a demonstration of his dragon's echo-location capability. It proved less than spectacular since the exceptionally smooth walls of the tunnels did not provide any disruption, Hence, only a blue ring of faint light ran along the length. However, it did provide relief for the others.

A cold wind and darkness greeted them when they reached the surface. As he wore riding armor, Hiccup did not feel the weather very much, the dragon never seemed overly bothered by cold, and the Guardians appeared impervious. However, Jack seemed sprightlier than the others. Bunny managed to deliver them to a wide ledge that easily accommodated the group. As a precaution, they stayed closer to the mountain than to the edge.

“Exactly where are we?” Toothania asked, and her breath plumed in the frigid temperature.

“Southeastern side of Mount Blanc so we can get the best angle on the moon,” the Pooka answered.

As one they all looked in the direction. High in the sky a silvery-white moon looked down on them. Small, strange smiles played along the lips of the Guardians. Hiccup guessed they reacted to the sight of their maker. Whether a trick of his imagination or not, the dragon rider felt as though something intelligent did watch him. He nodded his head in the direction of the being he also knew as Elada. After a few silent and near reverent moments, Jack floated over to his side. Hiccup could not fail to notice how glints of light played on the edges of both his mate and the crook in his hands.

“There's... I...” Jack said while glancing further down the length of the mountain ledge. “Do you see anything over there?”

Everyone looked in the same direction, and Hiccup watched Toothless at the same time while saying: “No, nothing. You? Do you see a problem or anything we should worry about?”

“I don't see anything,” Toothania added.

Bunny and the Sandman both shook their heads in negation.

“If it's what I think it is ... maybe my eyes are just playing tricks on me, but I swear...” the elemental Guardian said and walked a short ways toward what he thought he saw.

Jack, barefoot as usual when in his elemental form, moved in silence. Hiccup let his eyes feast on the retreating figure. It seemed ages since he last saw Jack dressed in the rather snug leather britches and the hooded sweatshirt. He liked what he saw, although it did nothing to diminish his admiration of the mortal aspects of the young-looking man. In the midst of his mental meanderings, he felt a presence close in on him. Thin, feathered arms surprisingly warm to the touch wrapped around him.

“He loves you, you know?” Toothania whispered in his ear. “We can all see it.”

“Still can't quite figure out how I got so lucky,” Hiccup mumbled in response while he reached up and gently laid a hand on one of her arms.

“I, ah... personally, I think it's more than other way around,” the Spirit of Memories said. “Okay, maybe you both lucked out. You seem to balance each other: you're more playful when he's around and Jack's a bit more serious in your presence.”

“That about sums it up,” Bunny said from his other side, and Hiccup started a bit. “Sorry, mate, didn't mean to sneak up on you.”

“S'alright, Bunny,” Hiccup intoned.

“I don't know if Nick said anything to you about it, but what you're doing for Jack... more than invaluable, Hiccup. It gives him perspective on what childhood really means 'cause there are some things only an adult can see.”

“So our... relationship isn't going to wreck him as the Spirit of Fun?”

“You do know I can hear you, right?” Jack said and slowly turned around.

“Yes,” Toothania replied and returned her attention to Hiccup. “What he is deep down will never really change, but it can be altered.”

“Am I invisible?” Jack muttered as he held out his hands and crook and stared at them. “Toothless, can you see me?”

Toothless let out with a happy rumble at the sound of his name. Toothania let go of Hiccup and flew down to face the dragon. As she did nearly each time, the lone female Guardian reached up and took hold of either side of Toothless' face. She stared into the large eyes, grinning all the while. Then Toothania planted a big kiss on his ebony snout.

“I am going to miss you and those amazing teeth so much,” she cooed at the dragon and her voice caught on the last word.

In response, Toothless broad, flat tongue darted out and licked the entire left side of the Tooth Fairy's face. Bunny grunted as he tried to stifle his laugh while Hiccup simply let it out. However, Toothania just smiled.

“A bit wet, but thank you,” the fairy warmly told the dragon. She wrapped her arms around the wide head and stout neck, and hugged the dragon.

Much to Hiccup's surprise, Toothless lowered his head into the embrace and slowly closed his eyes.

“Wow, he seriously likes her,” the youngest Guardian said as he properly rejoined the group. Hiccup grinned in agreement.

“Of course he does. Everyone loves the Tooth Fairy. She brings cold hard cash in exchange for teeth,” Bunny remarked.

“Cash...?”

The dragon rider and furry Guardian regarded one another for a few seconds.

“I'll explain it later when we get back to Halla,” Jack quipped.

Hiccup felt a tug on his arm. He looked slightly downward at the small figure of the Sandman. Sandy smiled at him and drifted upward on the magical cloud under his feet. Within the eyes of the round yellow face, Hiccup detected a note of sadness.

“Yeah,” the dragon rider acknowledged the expression. “Going to miss you, too, Sandy. You know, for someone who doesn't speak a word, you really manage to say a lot.”

The Sandman inclined his head once. When he lifted it, a small scene took shape in his dream sand. In it Hiccup watched a perfect miniature version of himself astride Toothless with wings outstretched seeming to fend off danger from a tiny Jack. Hiccup looked into the golden eyes of the small man.

“Always and with everything we have,” Hiccup pledged. “I know it hasn't been long, but I can't... imagine my life... without him.”

While Jack slipped a hand into Hiccup's and squeezed, a heart formed in the shimmering sand.

“Almost from the day I understood exactly what he was, Sandy,” the dragon rider replied, blushing a bit, and returned the gesture of his mate. “He scared me at first... mostly 'cause I didn't know what he was doing, but after that... he helped me so much. I owe him so much.”

“It works both ways, Hiccup,” Jack quietly stated.

“And we owe you for what you've done for him,” Bunny replied. “Did you get Nick's giving speech?”

Hiccup nodded, and his russet hair danced in the wind. The Spirit of Fun did a poor job at hiding his smirk. Toothania rolled her eyes at him.

“It goes 'round and 'round, Hiccup. If you do it right, you always get back more than you could ever believe,” the giant rabbit told him, and then fixed Jack with a stern gaze. “Now, you've also got an important job to do: let him live, kid, and I mean really let him live.”

“He's good at that,” Jack responded before the dragon rider, and the already rosy cheeks of the young Hallan man turned a shade darker.

“He must be because you're starting to sparkle, Jack,” Toothania remarked and chuckled.

A wide smile split the Sandman's face as well.

Jack held out his arms, one hand still firmly clasped to Hiccup's, and examined them. Mirth quickly drained from his face. He looked at Hiccup, and the dragon rider's eyes went wide.

“It's starting,” the elemental Guardian said in a low tone.

“Toothless, mount!” Hiccup called out.

The dragon instantly assumed a crouched position. Feathered arms grabbed Hiccup before he could move. They held tightly for a second.

“I am so glad we got to meet you,” she whispered in his ear. “You and Toothless are so, so special.”

“Thank you,” the Hallan replied and returned the hug. “I just wish we could've had more time.”

“Even a day was enough. Fly him home safe, okay?” The Tooth Fairy half-ordered and then kissed him on the cheek.

“I will.”

She let him go and fluttered backward. Then Sandy's face popped up between them. The little man gently patted his cheek, and the world took on a slightly surreal quality. Hiccup reached up and returned the gesture. Sandy's skin felt warm under his palm.

“My world could really use someone like you,” Hiccup told the oldest of the Guardians and he titled his head upward.

Instead of an image forming above his head, Sandy lowered his hand. Then he touched Hiccup in the center of his chest. Warmth spread throughout the dragon rider's body. He felt snug and cozy, as if wrapped in a wool blanket.

“You are so incredible,” Hiccup whispered.

The Sandman inclined his head toward him, and then drifted backward. A second later a large hand-like paw landed on his shoulder. The emerald-green eyes of the Hallan met the forest colored eyes of the Pooka.

“I'm not one for all this mushy stuff,” Bunny told him a gruff voice. “I wanted you to know you easily could be one of us.”

“That means a lot coming from you, Bunny. Jack told me a lot about you, so I know...”

“Well, don't tell the kid this,” the Pooka interrupted and lowered his voice, “but I always respected what he could do. Maybe not always when he did it, but Jack knows his stuff. His heart's in the right place.”

Hiccup nodded.

“And so is yours. You're a good man, Hiccup of Halla, and your dragon is the best. Jack couldn't have done any better than you,” Bunny said and his hand powerfully clenched the leather-clad shoulder.

Hiccup reached up and grasped the furry forearm. The soft but rather coarse fur tickled his hand. He studied the eyes and face before him. Never in his life did Hiccup ever think he would meet anyone or anything like Bunny. Then again, all of the Guardians proved astonishing and very unique. Although he knew it would take him months to sort out all he experienced, Hiccup did appreciate how much clarity it gave him regarding Jack's life. For that he would be eternally grateful. 

“And when you get the chance, thank Toothless for not eating me,” Bunny said after a few seconds.

“To be honest, he likes fish better a lot more,” Hiccup replied with a grin. “I'm going to miss you, Bunny.”

“Same here, Hiccup, and that goes for all of us,” the Pooka rejoined.

The Sandman and the Tooth Fairy both bobbed their heads. The trio of Guardians stepped back. Hiccup took in the sight with the realization he might never get the chance again. It made his chest feel tight and his eyes sting. He raised a hand in farewell.

“Bye,” Toothania said in a clipped voice.

“Hiccup, we really need to get this going,” Jack said from behind.

Hiccup turned and saw a distinct change in Jack. His skin appeared paler as light glittered on his extremities, but unlike any the dragon rider saw before. Despite wanting to spend a little more time with Guardians, Hiccup forced himself to trot toward his awaiting dragon. He mounted Toothless with a sure step. Then he began to buckle in.

“I guess I'll see you tomorrow, but... for me... not really,” Jack told his colleagues.

“You take good care of that man and that dragon. Hear me, Jack Frost!” Bunny warned in a friendly but fierce manner.

“I will, you furball!”

The affection could not be missed by any.

Jack spun on his heel and said: “Ready?”

Unable to speak because of his roiling emotions at the parting with the Guardians, Hiccup just nodded. Then what he saw shocked him.

Jack Frost held out his arms. Instantly vapor began to coalesce around him as his eyes blazed with a blue-white energy. His white hair seemed to stand on end. The crook held in his left hand glowed with silvery light. All around Hiccup could feel forces swirl. The speed at which the gathering of power happened came in but a fraction of the time when Jack did it first on Halla. It seemed instantaneous. Even Toothless leaned away from the empowered Guardian.

“Ready, pal,” Jack's voice calmly asked the dragon. “We're really going to fly!”

Upon hearing that, the dragon grunted and resumed his crouch. As Jack neared them, Hiccup felt his skin being to tingle. Even the hair on the back of his neck stood up. The feeling grew in intensity with each step Jack took. When the Guardian took his seat behind him, Hiccup felt as though a slightly chilly star nestled next to him. He felt an arm reach around his torso.

“Let's go,” the Guardian radiating with power said to the dragon rider.

“Toothless, fly!” Hiccup ordered the dragon.

Toothless vaulted toward the edge of the rock ledge. The cold winds whipped around them. Just before the night fury leaped off, Hiccup glanced to his right and saw the startled looks on the Guardians. He smiled at them, and then his orientation to the world shifted. The sound of unfurling dragon wings filled his ears as the downward drop suddenly changed into an ascent. The trio shot past the three standing on the ledge of the mountain in the chill night air.

“Here it comes,” Jack warned.

Hiccup braced himself, but the transformation seemed nothing in comparison to the take off. The Hallan began to feel weightless. The wind ceased although he knew it continued to blow. It took less than a second for them to achieve a full immaterial state. It dawned on Hiccup Jack meant what he said when he claimed greater ability on Earth than on Halla. He got a sneaking suspicion his mate also might be vastly more powerful than the Hallan Isemaler under the right conditions. The mental debate, however, took a backseat as they flew higher and seemingly straight toward the glowing orb in the sky.

“Hello, Father Moon” Hiccup heard Jack whisper.

The moon seemed to answer by glowing brighter. Hiccup waited for it to tapper, but the luminosity continued to increase. He began to wince and looked away from the blinding light. Unfortunately, the light seemed to be everywhere. Moreover, it felt as if it physically passed through him stripping away what little solidity remained. Unlike what Isemaler accomplished by accident, Jack utterly controlled what occurred. Gradually the thought crossed the dragon rider's mind that soon he should begin to feel dizzy and tired as the transference began to take place. He waited.

For his part, Jack felt the enormous amounts of energy surge through his body. It neither distressed him mentally nor stressed his body. He felt completely at ease with the power suffusing his form. Part of his brain began to theorize at what might be happening to him on an atomic or, to use Hiccup's least favorite word, quantum level. He dismissed the idea of magic. The Man in the Moon, he felt certain, existed in dimensions he could not entirely fathom but ones that allowed the Man to manipulate energy. Jack also knew each time he allowed so much power to enter his body it changed him in a fundamental manner. He felt more in tune with the energies he commanded. Thus, the elemental Guardian applied himself and willfully directed the power into Hiccup and Toothless.

Then it happened.

Hiccup compared it to breaking through a thinly stretched sheet of wet leather. Somehow they managed to find a small imperfection in the membrane, and it gave way under the combined power of Jack and The Man in the Moon. He felt strangely compressed and constricted even though he knew himself to be in an insubstantial form. The weirdest part came when it felt like he suddenly shifted a dozen feet to his left without moving. All the world and the heavens rocked to one side. Toothless let out with an unusual trumpet at the same moment. The fierce white light making his eyes water flashed with the sensation. Hiccup raised his arms to protect his face from what he believed would be a fiery recoil.

Jack marked the moment, but it meant something far different to him. At last he got confirmation as to where Halla existed. Deep on a quantum level his fluctuation patterns altered. In doing so, the titanic quantities of power on which he drew became restricted. The nature of the energies changed. The only manner in which he could think of describe it came in it not tasting right, like milk the day after it expired but before it became sour. Now Jack knew he not only slipped the bounds of Earth, but he traveled to a parallel dimension where the physical laws matched ninety-nine percent of his native one. Earth, the elemental Guardian discovered, lay much further away than he ever imagined. He made a mental note to tell the other Guardians exactly what the blue trolls could unwittingly do.

The white light turned a bright, pale yellow color. As one, Hiccup and Jack sat bolt upright sucking in breath as though they just swam up from a deep depth. A very real arm encircled Hiccup's midriff. A very real dragon rested between his legs and under the saddle. Toothless already began to swing his head about and issued noises expressing his confusion. The Viking turned his head and saw a smiling, brown-eyed, brown-haired young man. Relief swamped his thinking.

“Oh, gods! Oh, gods! You're back!” Isemaler said, bouncing and dancing around them while he chanted. “You scared water out of me!”

Hiccup turned and faced the pale, teenaged Hallan elemental man with wild whitish-blond hair and azure eyes. Isemaler's hands kept a choke hold on the staff. His clothing approximated Jack's Guardian uniform, but clearly did not come from the same source. Isemaler looked very Hallan. Several sharp retorts lingered on Hiccup's tongue, but he withheld. Given what he experienced, he realized he could not entirely fault the relatively new Hallan Spirit of Winter Joy.

“Calm down, Isemaler,” he ordered instead. “We made it.”

“Oh, gods! Your body kept... flickering, and I couldn't touch either of you and you just laid there like dead pieces of smoke and I waited all night and nothing changed and I got really worried ‘cause I thought maybe the skrill...”

“Isemaler, stop!” Jack half yelled and half laughed. “This is what happens during the transition. You just sort of accidentally pushed Hiccup and Toothless into it.”

“Great Odin! I am so, so, so sorry!” Isemaler gushed. “I didn't know. I swear I didn't know it would happen. I just wanted us to get away from that dragon and Jack was changing and I could see Toothless was getting tired so I just grabbed some power and used it to make him and Hiccup turn air-like so we could get through the mountain...”

“We know!” Hiccup hollered.

Isemaler halted his litany and in his tracks. He gaped wide-eyed at the two and palpable contrition poured out of him. Jack saw an opportunity to use the situation to teach the young elemental man a valuable lesson. He fixed unique Hallan with a stare.

“Remember all those times I told you you need to be careful about how you sling energy around?” Jack inquired.

Isemaler nodded his head, sending his hair into wild dance.

“This is what happens if you're not careful. If things hadn't worked out right on the other end, Hiccup could've been trapped on my world.”

“You went to his world?” Isemaler burped out the question.

“Wait, what do you mean trapped?” Hiccup asked and spun his head around. “No said anything about me getting stuck on Earth!”

Jack looked everywhere except at the Viking until at last he said: “Um... I sort of found out from Leiyís'axt... who said if you stayed after the full moon, your body would, you know, sort of acclimate to Earth and we wouldn't be able to send you back home.”

“Why didn't you tell me this?”

The anger in the dragon rider's voice sliced through the air.

“Who's Lay-is... what's his name?” The elemental person native to that realm queried.

Jack ignored the question, kept his focus on Hiccup, and explained: “I didn't tell you because it wouldn't have mattered one way or the other. If I found you and got you out of the prison before the full moon like I did, then we'd come home like we did. If I couldn't get you out in time, well... there'd be more than enough time to explain it to you.”

“Prison?” Isemaler mumbled. “You were in prison? What went on there?”

“Later,” Hiccup grunted at elemental young man.

His eyes narrowed as he thought over what Jack said. Hiccup considered all the pieces of the short explanation, and the logic while off-putting could not be refuted. He slowly relaxed and began to unbuckle himself from the saddle.

“I guess that makes sense,” he rejoined with decreasing acerbity. “But we're going to talk about keeping vital information hidden from each other.”

Jack nodded. He saw reflections of the harm done to his mate during the captivity. However, other forces worked overtime to reduce the overall effects.

“Gods, where'd you get that tail for Toothless?” Isemaler remarked, but it sounded like he spoke to himself.

“Tail... what...?” The dragon rider stuttered.

He and Jack quickly scrambled off Toothless' back. While they did, Hiccup noticed the saddle, but his eyes immediately searched out the tail. The exquisitely thin stainless steel plates gleamed in the sun. The configuration altered as Toothless' moved it back and forth. The Viking glanced up at his mate.

“Bonus for being on my world,” Jack nonchalantly intoned. “Told you I was in control there, so I made sure enough power went into the transformation to bring it back with us.”

Hiccup threw his arms around the slender young mortal before him and soundly kissed the mouth. Jack's arms snaked around his sides. Passion, relief, and thankfulness enhanced the kiss. They held it for a long time until Isemaler coughed to get their attention.

“So the saddle came from there, too?” The elemental man asked.

Sure enough, just as Hiccup's eyes told him, the yeti-made saddle sat strapped the Toothless' back. His brain instantly began to plan on how best to examine it so he could make replacement parts because Hiccup doubted he could improve the design. Then he caught Jack grinning at him.

“What?” The Viking asked after a few moments.

“Did it balance out?” Jack inquired.

“Could you be a little more specific?”

Jack sighed a playful note and said: “Everything you went through on Earth? Does the tail fin and saddle make up from some of that horror?”

Hiccup stared into the warm brown eyes. He reached up with a hand and ran it through Jack's very human hair. The pert smirk on the thin-lipped mouth made Hiccup want to laugh, but his mind sorted through the question. One answer in the form of a question rose to the surface.

“How much did you and the other Guardians work to make me feel better?”

“A lot, and it was worth it. We had to, Hiccup. Toothania and Nick both agreed we couldn't send you home like that. You had to see there was some good on Earth,” Jack the Hallan mortal stated.

“And that's why you had me meet Jamie and tried to get me to see Lay... what's his face Broken Nose guy?” Hiccup countered and put the pieces together although he thought of it before.

“Not all of my world is helicopters, bullets, prisons, and Creak. There is beauty there, and people who are genuinely caring and nice. What about that guy and his granddaughter Katica in Slovenia?”

Hiccup slowly nodded his head as he considered the honest and sincere help he received from Bojan. Without his granddaughter and her nightmares about Toothless, he could well be trapped forever on Earth. His mind also replayed the images of the vast cities of light in the night, the machines that could fly through air as easily as a dragon, landscapes not dominated by the sea, mountains it would take a multitude of drawings to capture, and marvelous beings who sought to give him aid and comfort without any need for repayment.

“I guess it's no better or worse than here,” Hiccup said after a long pause. “Just different. It's weird, but people are really just people even when they're not really people like how I used to think about it. Those yeti...”

The Viking glanced at his dragon and the new equipment.

“And the elves. Don't forget about them,” Jack reminded him.

“What are yeti and elves?” Isemaler inserted himself into the conversation.

Overhead the Hallan sun climbed further away from the horizon in the west as it brought day with it. The rays it showered down ran more blue than red in the parlance of Jack Frost. The moon that harbored no intelligent life in it got hid by the encroaching day. In the midst of adjusting to the fact he truly got delivered back home as promised, one salient fact struck the Viking.

“Mighty Freya, only one night passed,” Hiccup exhaled and glanced around. “It feels.... Is this what you go through every time?”

Jack grinned and nodded.

“And it happens in both directions?”

Jack nodded again.

“What happens in both directions?” Isemaler petulantly asked. “You two keep talking about stuff I don't know about and won't explain any of it!”

“Patience, young padawan,” Jack drolly exclaimed.

“What in the name of Thor is a pad-a-what's it?”

Hiccup shrugged since he did not know either. However, Isemaler showed signs of getting ready to throw a tantrum born of anxiety and wanting to know more than he could possible learn in one day. In that regard, he truly did resemble the original Isemaler who also possessed an insatiable hunger for knowledge. The Viking glanced around.

“We'll tell you as much as we can,” he said and made a decision. “But first we need to pack up and get off this island. I'm done with skrill for now.”

“I'm done with skrill period!” His mate blurted.

“I thought we were after a dragon for him?” Isemaler growled and his discontent seemed to be growing.

“We are, and this is where you really come in.”

Isemaler hovered stock still and waited.

“We're going to the Snow Fang Mountains!”

Isemaler blinked in surprised while Jack's grin turned into a full-blown smile. Then the elemental young man asked: “You know what lives there, right?”

“And it's perfect for guy born in a frozen lake who hides winter deep in... in his spirit. It'll keep Jack in touch with the cold side of himself,” Hiccup stated as though it seemed obvious.

Isemaler started to laugh. Hiccup began to take stock of the situation. Their base camp lay on the other side of the island. He wanted to retrieve the items there before they left for the new destination. After all, only one of the quartet could withstand the freezing temperatures of the mountainous island without any protection.

“Let's go get our equipment. The skrill should've given up the search for us by now,” the Viking instructed.

Both he and Jack turned to mount Toothless. The dragon rumbled a happy sound and looked expectantly at Jack. The brown-haired young man shrugged.

“Sorry, pal, but I can't do that anymore,” he said in a mournful voice.

Toothless grumbled while Hiccup and Jack snickered. They climbed aboard the night fury and strapped in. Isemaler already sailed into the air and flew lazy circles around them. In the back of two minds, plans for instructing the elemental being started to take shape. Hiccup affectionately slapped the neck of the midnight dragon.

“Okay, bud: let's fly!”

“Oh, and did I tell you I also need to find a tree? Well, a sapling really...” Jack said, and his words trailed off while preparing for the launch.

The night fury took to his native sky with a mighty leap. His great, black wings unfolded and dug into the air. The fleshy mainsails curved as they caught it, and the trio of two men and a dragon lifted higher. Hiccup inhaled deeply as he, too, savored riding in the Hallan sky. His world even smelled different than the one he just left. Part of his mind wondered if it all resulted from some sort of strange dream, but the gleaming new apparatus on Toothless proved otherwise. Hiccup admitted he did not comprehend all his beloved Earthling could do when in his natural form. The Viking did not doubt the formidable power of elemental Guardian hidden beneath handsome human flesh. Hiccup shifted his eyes and spotted Isemaler soaring about them and laughing with the pure, sweet joy that infused his being he so willingly shared with any who got near him. The dragon rider smiled.

“You've asked for stranger things, so why not?” Hiccup replied as they climbed above the landscape.

Behind Hiccup Jack slowly started to adjust to being mortal once more. He could feel the increased gravity of Halla pulling down on his body. As his cherished mate did, the transformed Guardian inhaled. The rich atmosphere of the world swirled in his nose and lungs. Part of Jack's brain wondered if Noro the Sky Dancer and The Man in the Moon reconfigured his internal organs to match those of the Hallans. Given it would require surgery to find out, he let that interest drop. Instead, he wrapped his arms around Hiccup and squeezed as they flew on the sturdy and sure back of Toothless. Jack realized his loyalties became split, yet he decided he could live with that and it would make him a stronger person. Neither loyalty would ever go wanting. He kissed the back of Hiccup's neck and felt completely at home.

Below and behind the foursome flying away two small, very pale orange orbs hovered by a rock near they place they vacated. If one looked closely enough, an oddly grotesque figure could be seen. The body appeared to be made of a half-rotten log with twisted branches for arms and legs, scraggly twigs jammed into what looked like lumps of clay served as fingers and toes, and the grayish-green skin seemed ill-fitting on the body. The head, perched on another thin branch, looked as though someone carved a warty gourd into the rough configuration of a face. The jagged mouth opened and closed, but nothing came out. The warped appendages clawed at the air as though trying to grasp something it could not reach. The dim eyes watched as the four other beings disappeared into the sky. The creature acted in a desperate ways. Movement, however, became increasingly sluggish. After several minutes the thing slumped to one side against a large stone. The mouth ceased chewing at the air. Slowly, the orange light inside the misshapen head grew fainter and fainter. The eyes eventually grew dark. The figure then faded away.

Overhead the sun turned the sky a brilliant blue, white clouds drifted lazily along, and all seemed perfect for a moment.

**AFTERWORD**

A number of elements in this story got borrowed from the myths of other cultures on Earth. Here is a quick run-down, and go look this stuff up on the internet!  


  * Pulhu's name is derived from ancient Sumerian legends. It (he? she?) even mentions the Sumerian underworld at one point.  

  * The tupilaq got directly drawn from Tlingit myths. The Tlingit are part of the native peoples found in both Alaska and across parts of western Russia near the Bearing Straights.  

  * The Broken Nose (Leiyís'axt) comes from Iroquois tales, and now exists as something called the False Face Society. The name is constructed from the Tlingit language, and Leiyís'axt means 'Fire Man'... or very close to that. The real Leiyís'axt keeps watch over my house.  

  * The base concept of the Yeti language is derived from how Mayan glyphs are constructed. Go watch “Breaking the Mayan Code” to get a good idea of how the Yeti language operates.  

  * Wise Sir Terry gave us the story of Hogfather and so many others, so go and read it to discover the connection to this tale. You forever changed the world, Wise Sir Terry, and we deeply miss you. 



Other stuff of interest...  


  * Toothless' flight speed on Earth got calculated to between 55 MPH – 70 MPH on average, with bursts up to 100 MPH.  

  * Hiccup and Toothless landed in the Parc de Collserola north of Nou Barris, Spain. See if you can figure out the rest of their flight path before they got captured. All the places at which they stopped actually exist.  

  * Google Translate is directly responsible for any of the bad dialogue in Slovenian, Polish, German, Norwegian, and the bits and pieces of other languages. 




End file.
